Our Summer
by Actingprincess1995-J-Mae
Summary: Popstar Shane Gray is forced to atted Camp Rock to fix his attitude while his best friend Mitchie Torres is allowed to go, thanks to Nate. Will Shane spend a summer with his favorite girl like he used to, or will he realize just how much has changed. The Mitchie Torres he knew wasn't a liar. Smitchie.
1. Chapter 1

_Come on Shane. Camp Rock is not the worst thing they have done to you. Cheer up, pop star._

She hit send before climbing into bed. It was late, but she wasn't ready for sleep. Instead, she waited for a reply.

Ten seconds later, her phone buzzed.

_Yes it is! What did I do to deserve this?!_

Mitchie rolled her eyes.

_Well, to start. You showed up half an hour late, hung over. You messed up the dance moves that I know you could do in your sleep. You flipped off the director when he asked to start over, and when you stormed out, you flipped the dessert table over and made Jason cry! Don't think Nate doesn't keep me updated._

Her phone made its dying noise, and she reached out to grab the charger.

Shane texted her again.

_Whose side are you on, Mitch? Cause I'm pretty sure Nate isn't your best friend._

Mitchie's next remark would be bitchy, but he was starting to get on her nerves.

_No, you're right. He's not. You are. But he does talk to me more in a week than my 'best friend' does in a month._

Her best friend was Shane Gray, lead singer of Connect 3, one of the hottest bands ever. He used to be just Shane Gray, the boy next door.

His parents still lived there, but he was almost never home.

It seemed to take forever for him to text when he did, it was the guy only she seemed to know anymore.

_I'm sorry. Mitchie I love you, and I promise I'll call you every chance I get from the hell home this summer._

She sighed. She was a sucker for the words 'I love you.' Especially coming from him.

_I love you too. But I'm going to bed, got a big day tomorrow._

He texted back almost immediately.

_Oh yeah. Last day of junior year. You're almost there, munchkin. Don't let those wannabee bitches get to you. Good luck. I'll call you tomorrow. Love you. G'night._

Mitchie dropped her phone onto her bedside table and turned over onto her side. She had wanted to go to Camp Rock _so_ badly, but her parents couldn't afford it.

She was amazing at piano, and her guitar skills were growing. But the most amazing thing was her voice, though she had never let anyone hear her sing.

It was too bad; she could have spent the entire summer with her best friend.

"Mitchie! Up! Last day of school!"

Sixteen year old Mitchie Torres could never just _get ready _in the morning. There had to be a fashion show, along with her music.

Finally, deciding on her purple shirt and a pair of skinny jeans, she climbed down the stairs, dropping down onto a chair.

"Oh cool, Hot Tunes is on. Turn it up please."\

Her mother sighed, rolling her eyes as she increased the volume to their TV. She nodded her head at her daughter's full plate.

"_The pop star phenol Shane Gray may have gone too far this time when he stormed off the set of the new Connect 3 music video. Word is, the other members of Connect 3 are fed up. This final stunt cost his label thousands of dollars, but may cost them, the rest of their record deal."_

They shared a look.

"What is wrong with that boy? He's got everything." Connie remarked, trying to a time when Shane _hadn't_ been a total jerk.

"Except a clue." Mitchie replied, still irritated at him.

"_The message is clear; he needs to clean up his act. And to give him time to do it the Connect 3 summer tour has been canceled._"

She shook her head, before bringing something out from behind her back. "Look what I found in the crisper! A Camp Rock brochure. Or should I say _another_ Camp Rock brochure?"

"Hmm, look at that! Oh, and great cheese omelet by the way! You should definitely add that to your catering menu."

"So you have no idea how that got in there? Or the one taped to the vacuüm cleaner?" Connie sighed and looked at her sadly. "Sweetie, I know you wanna go to this camp, and I'm sorry but we just can't swing it right now with dad expanding the store and my catering business just taking off...Aww honey. I'm sorry."

Mitchie tried not to look defeated. She pushed her half-eaten meal away and got up. "I know. Um, gotta go...Last day of school, don't wanna be late."

Halfway through her walk, her phone buzzed. Two next messages.

The first was from Shane.

_Happy Last Day of School Miss Mitchie. Love you, have a great day!_

The other one was from Nate.

_Any chance you'll be looking after Shane for me and Jason this summer?_

She could have cried.

_I'm not going. We can't afford it._

He texted her back immediately.

_Aww Mitch. Don't be sad, alright? Everything can still work out. :)_

The odd nature of his text made her wonder what he was up too, but she was soon sidetracked with the reality that she had to make it through one more day.

Of course, the kids at school were no help. The ones who didn't mutter nasty things to her as she passed them completely ignored her. It didn't _matter_ that her best friend was _Shane Gray_, their hero.

Mitchie was at her locker, dropping random graded papers into the trash bag next to her.

"Hey Mitchie!"

She turned, offering her friend a forced smile. "Hey Sierra."

Sierra continued to speak. "Let me be the first to say _xin xia ji_ Mitchie. It means happy summer Mitchie. Guess who got an A+ in AP Mandarin? Me! Again. Ah! So, how'd it go this morning?"

The smile disappeared. "It didn't. Camp Rock is a no go."

"But, you have to go Camp Rock is like, _the_ music camp. Anybody who wants to be somebody music-Oh which… you...already know… sorry."

Mitchie sighed. "Me too, I was just so excited to have a summer that was all about music, and..."

"I know. So, what are you going to do this summer?"

She thought about that on her walk to work, during work and the walk home. She could guilt Nate and Jason to come and visit her. She could work on getting a tan, write new songs, and have a 'nice' boring summer.

"So, how was work?" Steve asked, his back to her.

"Ugh, you know Barneys; we serve burgers with a Barneys smile. So, what's for dinner?"

"Burgers."

Mitchie let out a groan, dropping her backpack down onto the table.

"Well, our world famous Torres burger." Connie told her.

"Um, I'll pass." She groaned again.

Her parents shared a look.

"Okay, I can't stand it." He looked excited. What was going on? "Tell her."

"Well, Steve, she just got home..."

She eyed them carefully. "Tell me what..?"

"Okay honey, drum roll!"

"Mom!"

"Okay..." Connie paused for dramatic effect, earning a look of disapproval from her daughter. "You're going to Camp Rock!"

"What?!" Mitchie was sure she hadn't heard them right. They had to be telling the world's sickest joke.

"She said," Steve laughed. "You're going to Camp Rock!"

"Well actually we're going. Connie's catering is going camping! Business is slow in the summer, this is a steady job, and you get to go to camp at a discounted rate!"

She caught them both off guard with her scream. They formed a famous Torres-family group hug.

"But you have to help out in the kitchen." Connie reminded her.

Mitchie didn't seem to care. "Thank you! Thank you like a million times!"


	2. Chapter 2

She ran up the stairs to her room, calling over her shoulder that she would eat a little later. Just that morning, her dreams had been crushed. How...

_Nate_.

She grabbed her phone, speed dialing #2.

"Lo?" He answered, his special way of greeting her.

"Nathaniel Jerry Black." Mitchie said, her smile growing. "What did you do?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Mitchie." She could tell he was smiling too. "But someone with connections just _may _have made sure the old CR cook got an offer he couldn't refuse, and that same person just _may _have called Shane's Uncle Brown and told him about the amazing food from Connie's Catering."

"Is that Mitchie?" She heard someone ask in the background. Jason.

"Maybe," Nate told him, and then there was the sound of the phone being pulled away from his ear.

"Hi, munchkin!" Jason greeted her eagerly.

"Hey Jase!"

"Too bad about Camp Rock. But hey! Maybe you can come and help us judge for Final Jam!"

"Sure," Mitchie found herself saying. Then she remembered that Jason couldn't keep a secret for longer than an hour.

"Hey Jason. I think I hear your birds calling you." Nate said in the background. Ten seconds later his voice was the only one on the line. "Sorry. I couldn't tell him either. You know how Jason is with secrets,"

"I don't know whether to tell you that I love you, or that I hate you for getting yourself involved in my problems..._again_."

"Do I not always come through for you, Mitchie? And by the way, I love you too."

She rolled her eyes, but thanked him again. "I promise I won't screw this up, Nate."

"I know you won't, Mitch."

* * *

"We're here!"

Connie had pulled her van up and parked. She had to warn Mitchie _not_ to jump out while the vehicle was still moving. "Yeah! Are you excited?"

"A little..." She said, though she could never hold her excitement in for long. "Okay a lot! Major! Thank you mom! I'm gonna have so much fun!"

"Whoa!" In her hometown of New Jersey, there were no limos. But here, at Camp Rock, things would be very different.

"Whoa." Mitchie said as she watched the blonde girl exit. She had long hair, and wore the best clothes. She was beautiful.

"Okay sweetie let's get settled in." She handed her daughter her bags. They walked into the cabin the owner had offered to them.

She threw her things down onto a bare bunk. "Settled."

"That's great!" Neither of them had heard the man enter. He spoke in an Australian accent. "Brown Cesario: Camp director slash founding member and bass guitar of the Wet Crows. And you must be Connie Torres: Our new cook!"

"That's me!" Connie took his outstretched hand. "And this is my daughter..."

The screen door swung shut.

"Ugh...Who's...already gone."

"Ahh no worries, she probably just wanted to get out there, get to it, you know what I mean? When the music calls, you've got to answer"

She nodded. "I can't wait for you to meet her though; she has got a great voice! Look at me I'm already bragging."

Mitchie was afraid she would get lost; she had visited here before once summer, three years before. She had gone to see Shane preform with his cabin mates Nate Black and Jason Howard. Shane, still himself back then, had led the thirteen year old around proudly.

"Sorry!" She stammered, as she bumped into the girl from before. "Sorry, I didn't...I didn't see you!"

"Obviously." The girl hissed, brushing past her. She acted _just_ like the girls at school.

"That's Tess Tyler, the diva of Camp Rock." A curly haired girl informed her. She was sitting on the edge of the stage, focused on her laptop. She hadn't even looked up to speak.

"Is she really good?"

"She's good at trying too hard to be good. Understandable cause her mom's T.J. Tyler."

"The T.J. Tyler?" She asked. "She's got like a trillion Grammy's!"

"A trillion and one, I think." The girl finally looked up. "Hi, I'm Caitlyn: camper today, top-selling music producer tomorrow. Check me out."

Caitlyn pressed a button and a beat began to play. Mitchie smiled.

"Cool! I'm Mitchie."

"Hi,"

She stared at Mitchie, and then smiled. "Hey! You're like, _really_ good friends with Shane Gray, aren't you!"

A loud, vibrant woman running onto the stage scared Caitlyn, sending her to her feet and almost making her lose the computer.

"Hi gang! I'm Dee La Duke: the musical director here at Camp Rock!"

"Hi, Dee." The campers responded, some groaning.

"Here at Camp Rock we _siiinng_! So let's hear that again!"

"_Hi_, Dee!" They sang, the enthusiasm forced. Caitlyn looked at Mitchie and rolled her eyes.

"Okay! Okay! Settle down! You're having too much fun! Okay, this summer is not just about the Final Jam, we have a lot of work to do! You're gonna get new music skills, you're gonna find your sound, create your own style Holla! And figure out who you wanna be as an artist but most of all, have fun! _Aaand_, drum roll please! For the first time, we're gonna be joined at camp by a very special celebrity instructor!"

* * *

"I don't wanna waste my summer at some camp! I'm Shane Gray for crying out loud!" He had thrown the same tantrum since he had found out three days ago that this was where he would be spending his summer.

"Hey man, we used to love this place. Three years ago,we were campers."

"Yeah man, this is where Connect 3..._connected!_"

Shane continued to glare at them in his now-famous way. Almost every picture of Shane Gray that surfaced showed him with the expression.

"And you get to see your Uncle Brown." Nate tried. He knew if he had said Mitchie would be spending the next four weeks keeping him under control, he might have been more reasonable, but he decided against it. With the way Shane was acting, he didn't deserve the knowledge that he would be reunited with his #1 girl.

"Ha." He scoffed. "Not a selling point."

They continued to stare each other down. This could, as is had in the past, go on for hours.

"Look man, right now, you're the bad boy of the press, and the label has a problem with that, which means we have a problem with that."

Shane rolled his eyes.

Jason, who was sitting beside him, shrugged. "Actually, I don't really have a problem with that."

Nate shot him a look.

"We have a problem with that." He corrected himself, before going to stare out the window again.

"This camp thing is supposed to fix it. It's good P.R., so do your time. Enjoy the fresh air, get a tan."

Jason spoke up again, grinning. "Oh! And can you make me a bird house or something?"

Nate slammed his head back against the leather seat.

"One word." Shane warned them, preparing to leave. "Payback."

"That's 2 words!"

He rolled his eyes again, before grabbing his guitar and slamming the door to the limo.

"By the way, we told the press you'd be recording a duet with the winner of Final Jam." Nate called after him, moving into his seat.

"What?!"

Shane got to watch his friend wave as the car drove away.

"Shane," Brown wrapped his arm around his shoulders. "How's my favorite pop star?"

"Rock star," He corrected, dodging his uncle. "And it wasn't my choice to come here."

As they pulled out of the camp, he took his phone out and sent Mitchie a quick text.

_He's here. If you have any trouble, don't be afraid to get a hold of me or Jase. Good luck, Mitch. XOXO_


	3. Chapter 3

"I hear there's an open mic tonight."

"Yeah." Mitchie answered, her back to her mom.

"Are you gonna sing?" Connie moved some things around, preparing dinner for the rest of the campers.

"In front of all those people? No way."

She sighed and stopped what she was doing. "Sweetie, I hear you in your room! You're really good! Mom's honor. and if you're nervous, so what. Everyone is nervous. That's why I'm making so much food tonight because people eat when they're nervous."

"Not me, I don't think I can eat another burger, ever."

Mitchie had finished reading Nate's text, and she finally realized how nervous she was to see him again. They hadn't been together since Christmas of last year, and it had only been for a day.

"Okay, why don't you go take the trash out to the dumpster and then set up in the mess hall? Connie handed her the bag. "I'll finish up here."

She took the long way to the dumpsters, stopping when she heard part of a song.

_You think you're hot but I'm sorry you're not exactly who you think you are. Can't tell you what, that you haven't got, but when we walk into the room._

She crept up the stairs to their cabin, surprised to see Tess Tyler with two equally beautiful girls.

"Once again from the top, girls." She ordered before they began to sing again.

_You think you're hot but I'm sorry you're not exactly who you think you are. Can't tell you what that you haven't got, but when we walk into the room._

"Work with me here people!"

The darker skinned girl crossed her arms. "_Hel-lo!_ We're trying but you're-"

"If we wanna win, you guys have to listen to me! Let's go again."

_You think you're hot but I'm sorry you're not exactly who you think you are. Can't tell you what..._

Their voices faded away.

* * *

"C'mon guys! I learned my lesson. I showered in cold water, I looked at a tree, it's been three hours, I need hair product."

Nate had swept all of his 'babies' from his suitcase when he hadn't been looking.

Nate, still in the limo, smirked at Jason as he held his cell phone in between the two of them. "I guess it's time to embrace the natural look."

Jason grinned. "Have fun."

"Guys...?!"

The call had ended, curtsey of his 'best friend.'

"_Ah!" _The girls screamed; it was time for his workout. "_There he is!"_

Shane ran, tripping over his own two feet, He fell into the perfect hiding spot, in front of the mess hall protected by a tree.

Mitchie, not even fifteen feet away, placed the last napkin on a table, before glancing around to make sure no one was there.

She went to the piano.

"_Where'd he go?!"_

He ducked for cover again.

_Do you know what it's like, to feel so in the dark? To dream about a life, Where you're the shining star. Even though it seems, like it's too far away. I have to believe, in myself…It's the only way. This is real, this is me. I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now. Gonna let the light shine on me. Now I've found who I am, there's no way to hold it in. No more hiding who I wanna be..._

"_I think he went that way!" _The girls screamed.

_This is me..._

* * *

She sighed, stood up and left.

Shane, in awe of what he had just heard, walked into the empty mess hall. He reached the piano, expecting someone to still be there.

"Hello?" He called. "Hello? Who's in here?"

* * *

Connie was back in their cabin, her bed covered in recopies. "There you are sweetie! I've got all the food set up so you, princess, are free."

"Gotta find something to wear." She muttered, distracted.

"Honey, it's camp. It's not a fashion show."

"Have you seen these kids?" Mitchie demanded, still searching through her clothes. "They have a lot! My usual is _not_ going to cut it."

"Aw. I think you look cute! In a non-mom way. Totally."

She pulled a green shirt out of the pile she had just made and held it out. "This, this is safe."

Connie rolled her eyes. "It's also mine. Honey, wear your own clothes. You'll be fine. Ugh, be yourself."

* * *

"Hey Caitlyn." Mitchie said, coming to stand beside her.

"Hey Mitchie." She turned away from the girl she had been talking to. "This is Lola. Lola, Mitchie."

Lola smiled at her. "So, is this your first year?"

She made a face. "Yeah. Any advice?"

"You're gonna love it here and this year I hear the food is supposed to be better."

"Let's hope,"

Dee La Duke appeared with a large smile. Her tone was too perky.

"Hey Camp Rockers! Next up, let's have a big Camp Rock welcome for...Lola Scott!"

Lola looked at the two girls. "Wish me luck!" She said excitedly, before walking to her backup dancers.

_Who's got, what it takes to be my guy _

_What it takes to make, me shine _

_What it takes to get me. fired. up? _

_Who's got, what it takes to be my boo._

_What it takes to make, me glow._

_What it takes to make this, beat, floooow._

_They make up a list of things: 1, 2, 3_

_Everyone is different, but where we can't agree _

_Every girl wants a boy to treat her sweet. _

_Don't think that bein' mean will get you anywhere _

_Don't think that acting cool will make me wanna care _

_I need your respect, if you're gonna be the one. _

_And if you must apply then try to get the job done. _

_Who's got, what it takes to be, my guy _

_What it takes to make, me shine. _

_What it takes to get me fired up?_

_Who's got, what it takes to be, my boo _

_What it takes to make, me glow. _

_What it takes to make this, beat, floooow. _

_I've been contemplating _

_What it takes to make me give my heart. _

_Could you be, the one? _

_Standing in the crowd? _

_I'm waiting to find out. _

_I'm waiting, waiting, waiting, oh._

_Who's got, what it takes to be, my guy? _

_What it takes to make, me shine. _

_What it takes to get me, fired, up. _

_Who's got, what it takes to be, my boo._

_What it takes to make, me glow. _

_What it takes to make this, beat, floooow._

"Wow, she's amazing!" Mitchie exclaimed, throwing a thumbs up in Lola's direction.

Caitlyn shrugged, as if this wasn't new information. "Yeah, she should be. Her mom's on Broadway."

"Broadway?! Wow."

"Yeah, but the kids around here don't care about that. It's all about the _bling_." She shrugged. "That's why Tess over there runs this camp. _Greeeat_! Something wicked this way comes."

Tess and her posse were headed their way, pushing people aside.

"Hey Caitlyn. Your folks still wowing them on the cruise ships?"

Caitlyn gave her a dirty look. "Actually, they work in..."

"Hi!" She interrupted. "I'm Mitchie!"

"Oh. Hi." Tess gave her the fakest smile. "I'm Tess Tyler."

"I know. Wow, I love your mom!"

"Of course you do."

"I'm Mitchie Torres."

"Hey," Peggy smiled at her. "Is your dad Nikki Torres, the composer? My dad staged one of his shows."

"No,"

"So what _does_ he do?" Ella demanded.

"He owns a hardware store."

Tess shared a look with the girls, before they began to walk away. Tess had clearly decided that she wasn't worth any more of their time.

"But my mom..." Mitchie started.

"Yeah?"

"What?"

"Uh, the president- of Hot Tunes TV. In China. Yeah uh, it's, it's a huge market over there."

She couldn't believe the words that had just come out of her mouth. There was no way they would believe her.

"Wow." Tess smiled, and they surrounded her again. "Cool."

"So cool."

"Major cool!" Peggy exclaimed. Her enthusiasm seemed genuine. "Okay, so have you met anybody?"

"Uh, Yeah, like everybody. Last summer I was in like three music videos. Yeah, but you could hardly see me I was in the back."

"Wow!" The girls said in unison.

Tess looked at the other girls. "Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Of course!"

"Absolutely..." Ella started. "What are we thinking?"

The leader glared at her, before turning back to Mitchie.

"There's an extra bed in our cabin. It's yours, if you want it."

"Really?"

"Totally!" Tess smiled at her again. "We're gonna be great friends. C'mon, sit with us in the V.I.P. Section."

"I'm good, thanks for asking." Caitlyn called after her.

"You know Mitchie," Ella said, sitting down across from her. "You look _really_ familiar. Are you sure you've never been here before?"

"Oh my gosh!" Peggy pointed a finger at her. "You're _that_ Mitchie! Shane Gray's best friend!"

"Oh yeah," Tess muttered. Mitchie was going to be her best friend if she ever wanted to get Shane Gray to notice her. "Maybe you could introduce us later,"


	4. Chapter 4

"Can you believe not one of the cook books has a recipe for chili for three hundred kids?" Connie asked, an hour later. Her bed was still covered with recipes.

"You don't need a recipe, everyone loves your food." Mitchie promised. "It's official!"

"Really?"

"Camper's honor."

"So," Connie sat up to get a better look at her. "How was Opening Night Jam? Did you sing?"

She laughed. "No, but I met some girls and they want me to move into their cabin! And I know I have to help in the kitchen...But I'll just get up earlier and meet you here..."

"Sweetie, of course you can move into their cabin. It'll be fine. Now, I gotta get back to these cook books. Cause I got a rep to protect!"

Mitchie ran and hugged her mother before grabbing her stuff and heading out.

* * *

In the girls cabin, Peggy sat on her bed, strumming her guitar, Ella was digging through her nail polish drawer, and Tess was trying to reach her mom on the phone.

"Peggy!" She hissed. "Could you please stop that? I can't hear."

Peggy shrugged and left the guitar to lean against the wall.

"Guys..." Ella dropped down onto the mattress. "Which color?"

"Ella, they're exactly the same."

"So you see my dilemma!"

She just rolled her eyes.

"Mom!? Hey! Yeah! Yeah I'm totally settled in. Guess what?! Shane Gray is..." Her voice trailed off. "Yeah, yeah...You can totally call me back. Love you too. Have a good concert. As usual."

"What Tess?"

"Hey guys!" Mitchie announced herself, dragging her bag into the cabin.

"Hey Mitchie!" Ella called back, completely forgetting that Tess was upset.

"Hey,"

She got to the middle of the room before looking around. "So, which bed is mine?"

"That one." Tess told her, pointing to the one directly next to her bed. It also happened to be Peggy's bed.

"But..."

"Peggy doesn't mind. Do you?"

She sighed, clearly upset by her friend's actions. "I guess not." She gather her things and went to the only other empty bed.

"One bag?" The girls gathered around to inspect her clothing options. "You can't possibly have all your clothes in there."

"Ugh, right, well I threw a lot of my clothes away." Mitchie laughed it off. "Yeah, I just got tired of them."

"And you kept this?" Tess demanded in disgust, holding up a shirt.

She grabbed it back. "Yeah well it came from China. A little boutique called Xin Xia Ji."

"Wow," Peggy finished putting her things away.

"Totally wow!" Ella repeated.

"What does that mean?"

"Happy Summer." She repeated Sierra's 'Mandarin.' "Yeah that store is the bomb."

Mitchie turned to Tess for a distraction. She was making up the lie as she went along, and she wanted the attention to be off of her. "Wow, really cool bracelet!"

"It's from my mom. Every time she wins a Grammy, she adds a charm."

"Love it, totally _bling-a-licious_" Mitchie told her. She grabbed her book out of the bag and dropped it down onto her bed.

"So, is that your diary?"

"Oh, no...My songs."

"You write songs?" Tess asked, suddenly interested.

"Yeah, but they're probably not that good." She reached out to take the book, wanting to drop it into a drawer.

Ella grabbed it before she could. "C'mon!"

Peggy took the book from her friend and handed it back to Mitchie with a reassuring smile. Out of the three girls, she decided that Peggy was her favorite. "Well I bet they're good. Let's hear one."

"_No_!"

"Why not?" Tess demanded. "We're friends now, right?"

Mitchie sighed. "Yeah...Okay."

_I'm exactly where I‟m supposed to be now. __Gonna let the light, shine on..._

She stopped, embarrassed. "Yeah...It's not really that good."

Peggy looked surprised. "What?! That was _totally_ good, right Tess?"

"Totally."

* * *

The next morning, Mitchie woke up way too early to head to the kitchen. She tried to be as quite as possible.

She didn't expect Ella to wake up.

"What the..." She asked, rubbing her eyes. "Mitchie?"

She had to think quick, but then she knew that anything she said, Ella would believe her.

"You're dreaming. You're…A rock princess!"

"Okay," Ella shrugged, laying back down. "I rock,"

Later than morning, Mitchie walked into the mess hall.

"Hey," Barron called out to her. "Plenty of room over here with me and Murray."

Lola gave him a disgusted look. "Yuck! You're going to chase her away."

"As usual," Caitlyn shook her head before turning to Mitchie. "Morning."

"Hey guys." She greeted, coming to stand next to their table. She didn't know what else to say.

"Wassup?"

"Slumming, I see." Caitlyn muttered.

"What?"

"Hey! Mitchie!" Tess called. "Over here!"

"Better go, the queen awaits." She dismissed her. "Your music...are you any good?"

Mitchie was confused. Why was she acting like this?

"I don't know...Ugh, maybe? Kinda.?"

Caitlyn turned back to her breakfast. "Word of advice. You wanna be friends with Tess. Don't be."

"Mitchie."

"See you around."

She made her way over to her new friends.

"What happened to you this morning? Tess demanded, dropping back down to her place at the table.

"Umm..,early riser? Yum toast!" She shoved the bread into her mouth to avoid another question.

"So Mitchie," Peggy looked at her, her eyes were hopeful. "Tell us _everything_ about Shane!"

* * *

Speaking of the devil.

Brown ripped the covers away from his nephew.

"_What?!" _Shane hissed. He was never a pleasant-morning person.

"Rise and shine super star."

He scoffed and turned over, hiding his face in the pillow.

"Don't make me do this Shane."

"Go away," His voice was muffled. Brown reached over and grabbed the vase of flowers from the desk, placed there by Dee. With the plant in one hand, he threw the contents of the vase on his nephew, completely soaking him. "Hey!"

"Ohh, sorry. don't say I didn't warn you." The vase was back in its rightful place.

"Fine, I'm up, okay? I'm up." Shane glared at him.

"Alright, we've both got classes to teach, yours starts in five. And you might wanna put that mattress out in the sun. It's the only one you're gonna get." He called over his shoulder as he walked out. Five seconds later, Brown reappeared. "Oh, can you put some water in that vase?"

Shane groaned, throwing his head back down.

"Four minutes!"

* * *

Brown's class was waiting for him, talking excitedly. Mitchie sat in the front, right beside Tess.

"I still can't believe I'm becoming such good friends with Shane Gray's best friend!" She gushed.

"Whoa!" He called, entering the room. "If the class is a rockin Imma glad I came a'knockin'! So! Let's hear what I'm working with this year, who wants to sing first?"

Hands all around the room shot up.

"Oh my goodness, alright uh, eenie, meenie, minie, you." Brown pointed to Mitchie; the only one who hadn't raised her hand.

"Me?"

"Can't argue with the finger."

Tess stood up too. "I'll do it,"

"Ah. _No_. The finger picked her."

"Ugh. Okay," Mitchie came to the front of the room, nervous because everyone was looking at _her_. Her, the girl that everyone at her school ignored.

"Right, let er' rip." Brown had picked Connie's daughter on purpose, after listening to how highly she spoke of Mitchie.

_Who will I be? It‟s up to me..._

He stopped her. "Alright, I know you're singing a solo, but it's _so low_, I can't hear you. Alright? So, a bit louder."

She took a deep breath and nodded.

_Who will I be? it‟s up to me, _

_All the never ending possibilities That I can see, there‟s nothing that I can‟t do. Who will I be? Yes I Believe I get to make the future what I want to. If I can become anyone and know the_

_choice is up to me- Who will I be?_

"She's great!" Ella whispered to the girls as the others applauded Mitchie.

"That's not bad, not bad at all." Brown offered her a high five. "Is that an original?"

Mitchie blushed. "Yeah, but it's...It's mine, but..."

"No buts, it's good."


	5. Chapter 5

The girls gushed over her after class.

"I didn't know you were that good! You totally rocked it!"

"Totally!"

"Thanks," Mitchie shrugged, as if it were no big deal.

" So, I've been thinking and, you have to sing with us in Final Jam." Tess stopped walking, and the others followed suit. "Your vocals in the background would be like, _amazing_. And we never let people in our group. But you, a _must_. So, you want in?"

"Well, I was thinking about singing solo for Final Jam."

She raised an eye brow. "Solo in your first Final Jam? That's brave."

"You'll be fine." Peggy told her, knowing all too well about Tess's game; always getting what she wanted _when_ she wanted.

" Well, of course she'll be _fine._ It's just that...I know how nervous _I _get."

Mitchie was beginning to back down. "Well, I'm sure I'll be nervous at first but..."

"In front of _all _those people but, yeah. You'll be fine. You've done it before."

"Done what before?"

Tess pretended to be in shock. "You've never sang in front of an audience?"

"Well, yeah, I mean choir." She began to think. "I mean I was never lead or anything and I was sort of in the back but, it's still an audience."

"Wow, you _are_ brave. Come on girls, let's get started." They started to leave.

"Well, maybe a group would be better..."

Tess turned around. "If you think so,"

"Yeah, no, it'll be fun. I want too."

She was a good enough actress, pretending that she didn't care whether or not Mitchie joined them. "If you're sure."

"I'm totally sure." Mitchie looked down at her phone to check the time. "Umm, I gotta run."

"Where?"

"Huh? No, I mean I gotta call my mom." She took off running in the other direction, calling over her shoulder. "China time!"

* * *

"Sorry I'm late!" She announced five minutes later when she walked into the kitchen. Her cheeks were flushed.

"That's okay honey. The last batch of cookies is in the oven, you can start cleaning up." Connie grabbed the trays. "I'm gonna take these down to the storage room."

Mitchie looked over at the mess before going to close up the bags of ingredients.

"Hello?" An icy voice called. She froze.

She knew that voice anywhere, though when she heard it, it was more gentle and understanding. Shane.

"Hello?" He called again. "Hello?"

Mitchie looked down at the flour, making a rash decision. She wasn't ready for him to know that she was here. She pulled a lopsided chef's hat to hide her brown hair.

"I can hear you."

She threw the flour up at herself, turning her skin even whiter.

"Hi..." She drew out, fearing that he would recognize her.

"Do you work here?" Shane barely gave her the once-over.

"Ugh...Yes."

"Wow." He muttered, observing her. "You really get into your work."

"I'm Shane," He picked up one of Connie's cupcakes and stuck his finger in the frosting. "But I'm sure even the kitchen help knows that."

"Of course! It's nice to meet you."

He rolled his eyes; the same way he did when they were out together and the paparazzi asked him a question about his attitude, or if they were dating.

She hated it when he acted like that.

"Actually, it's not so nice. See my manager said he sent over my food allergy list, but since I couldn't even go near my breakfast this morning. Can I just talk to whoever's in charge?"

"Excuse me?"

Mitchie had never been one to put up with his pop-star shitty attitude.

"What?"

"Well you're kind of being a jerk." The words felt familiar to her.

"And you are...?" He asked. That pissed her off even more.

"A person! And there's a way to talk to a person, and that's not it."

He looked surprised. "I'll have my manager send it over again."

"Fine." And she cleared her throat when he tried to leave.

"Thank you?" Shane asked.

Mitchie smiled. "Much better," She said with an approving nod.

He turned to leave, and then stopped. Something about the way that girl had spoken to him reminded him of...

"Mitchie?" He came closer. "Mitch?"

The metal lid the girl had been holding, ready to wash, made a clanking sound as she dropped it.

"Hi..." She said again.

Shane was silent as he jumped over the metal table in an attempt to get closer to her. He pulled the cap off of her head, then reached out to cup her cheek and brush some of the flour away.

Then, he began to laugh. "Oh Mitchie,"

If her cheeks hadn't been covered, he would have seen her blush. She would never live this down.

Mitchie saw the blur of a flashing light and realized that Shane had taken a picture of her.

"Next time you piss me off," He flicked a wash cloth at her. "This goes online."

When she was clean, he crossed the room and pulled her into a hug. She felt her feet leave the ground.

"What are you doing here?"

"Nate arranged for my mom's catering business to supply the food this summer, and I get to be here at a discounted rate,"

"Mitchie," He looked at her disapprovingly. "You could have just asked me to help you get in here. The owner _is_ my uncle."

"Shane," Mitchie said in the same tone. "I don't take charity."

"Yeah yeah," He slung an arm around her shoulder and they sat there together, on the floor.

"Shane." Another voice called. The voice led him to groan and for her to smack him.

"Shane," Brown said again, stepping into the kitchen. "You're going to be late for your next class,"

Shane rolled his eyes, jumped to his feet and held out a hand for her. "Just a second. Okay?"

"Now, Shane." He ordered, before noticing Mitchie who was still on the floor. "Hello, poppet."

"Hey Brown," She took her best friend's outstretched hand. "Go ahead, Shane. I'll see you later,"

He nodded, hugged her then brushed past his uncle on his way outside. Brown offered her a wink before following him out.

* * *

"I don't need a chaperone!" Shane told Brown, on the way to his first class.

"Seeing how you blew off your class yesterday. You sort of do."

He was already shaking his head. "I didn't sign up for this! Get my agent on the phone."

Brown stopped. It was like he didn't even know this person anymore. "_Get my agent?_ What happened to you man? That kid on that T.V. That's not who you really are. In there Shane. What happened to the kid who just loved music?

Shane refused to look him in the eye. "He grew up."

"Big whoop! Stop acting like it's all about you."

"In my world," He said with a shrug. "It is."

"Oh look! we're in my world. And in my world, you're considered an instructor at this camp, which means you've got to instruct. Starting, with hip-hop dance at two. And 5, 6, 7, 8."

Brown danced as he finished his last sentence.


	6. Chapter 6

Mitchie walked into her class late, surprised to find that the teacher wasn't there yet. It was hip hop, and she was nervous. She had never been the dancing type.

Caitlyn and Barron were goofing around with their own dance moves.

She dropped to her knees on the floor behind Tess, catching the end of their conversation.

"Okay guys, remember. When he gets here, _act cool_."

"When who gets here?" She asked as they stood up together.

"_Shaaane_." Ella told her with a smile. Peggy and Tess nodded dreamily.

"Wait he's teaching _this _class?"

"Mhm."

"Great!"

_Great. Another thing he can make fun of me for._

"Is that...flour in your hair?" Ella asked, pulling her away from her thoughts. She began to run her fingers through Mitchie's hair.

She stepped away, brushing the substance out of her hair with her fingers. "No, uh, no it's Chinese body powder. Pretty cool, huh?"

The door slammed and in came Shane, no longer the happy version of himself that she had seen only ten minutes before.

"Grab a mic and a hat. Follow me if you can. Hurry!" He ordered.

They scrambled to follow his orders.

"Hurry!" Shane called again. He inserted a CD into the high tech equipment and pressed play. "Let's go,"

_Yeah_

_First stop, hit the groove, let the music play Next stop everybody, its time to celebrate_

Mitchie gave Peggy a helpless look, and she shrugged in response.

_Here we go so let your flow show Make the dreams you got become real_

"Across the floor."

_Let's do this, let me hear you now Show me how you feel_

_Let's start, start, start the party C'mon, c'mon everyone Let's start, start, start the party What'cha waiting for now?_

_Let's start, start, start the party C'mon, C'mon everyone Let's start, start, start the party What'cha waiting for now? Start, start, start the party C'mon, c'mon live it up Let's start, start, start the party I know you never gonna wanna stop_

"Everyone circle face the front."

_Let the music take us, to paradise, Let's close our eyes Feel the groove, wanna shake us Everywhere and everybody Turn it up, let's start the party_

Mitchie could feel him watching her, and hoped she was doing okay. They continued to follow their instructor, in awe of what he could do.

_Start, start the party (Let's do it) Start, start the party (Everybody now) Start, start the party (Let's get to it) Start, start the party_

_Let's start, start, start the party C'mon, c'mon everyone Let's start, start, start the party_

"Everybody crisscross!"

_What'cha waiting for now? Start, start, start the party C'mon, c'mon live it up Let's start, start, start the party I know you never gonna wanna stop..._

Andy tripped over Tess's foot, crashing to the floor. Someone stopped the music, and they surrounded him.

She watched him carefully, wondering if he would become the guy she knew and loved, or if he would scream for someone making such an easy mistake.

Tess crossed her arms. "Talk about dancing to the beat of a different drum!"

That earned her an eye roll from Shane.

"You any good on the drums?"

Andy pulled his sticks out from his shorts pockets and created a beat. His smile grew.

"Man! You're a drummer, dude." Shane helped him up. "The drummer controls the beat. The rhythm is in your hands."

Andy smiled shyly. "Yeah, I guess."

"Now we just have to work on getting that beat from those sticks to those feet." He grinned and touched his arm, catching Mitchie's eye in the process and winking at her.

* * *

She was with the girls, walking to the mess hall when someone called her name.

"Hey Mitchie! Wait up,"

She was surprised to see Shane jogging to catch up with her. The girls squealed.

"Hey," He muttered, wrapping his arm around her. "Why'd you leave? I was hoping you'd stay and hang out for a while,"

"Sorry," Tess gushed. "I kept her away from you,"

Shane kept one arm around her as he held his free hand out to the girls. "And you are?"

"Tess!"

"Peggy!"

"Ella!"

This didn't faze him.

"So, do you wanna join us for lunch?" Peggy asked. She seemed upset to have to let go of his hand.

"And be caught in the mess hall? No, thanks." He rolled his eyes, attitude back in place. "I get my meals brought to my cabin,"

"That is _so_ cool." Tess seemed to be inching herself closer to him. She looped her arm through Mitchie's, as if to tell Shane. _See? Your #1 girl is mine too! Aren't we perfect for each other?_

"You should have heard Mitchie in your Uncle's class! She is _such_ a good singer!"

Shane laughed and pulled his best friend tighter against him. "Mitchie? Singing in front of people? That's hilarious! She has _never_ been able to sing in front of anybody. You didn't tell them about 7th grade, did you?"

"What happened in 7th grade?"

Mitchie elbowed him, feeling tears burn her eyes at the memory. He knew it still hurt her, so why the hell would he bring it up?

"She got up on stage, ready to sing the _only_ solo she ever got. Anyway, she gets up to sing and _nothing_ comes out. She got so scared, she ran off stage. Might as well as be tone deaf, right Mitch?"

She glared at him, shoving him away before going to join the girls. "We're going to lunch."

"Mitch, wait-I was just..."

But she turned on her heel and left, the girls following closely behind.

* * *

"Where were you this morning?" Tess asked her, once they were in the mess hall.

"Umm," Mitchie was still upset about what Shane had said, but she had bigger problems. Her mother was walking over to them. "Oh no,"

"Hi girls!" Connie greeted eagerly, happy to see her daughter with more than one person.

"Uh, hi,"

"Hi, so um, yummy breakfast." She covered, trying to will her mother to leave.

"Oh? How would you know? There's hardly anything on your plate." She was following them.

"Morning carbs." Tess sat down in her usual spot. "Definite no no."

"Uh, _yeah_."

She tried to give Mitchie a look, but she was too focused on her food. "Well I just wanted meet Mitchie's new friends,"

"This is Ella, Peggy, and Tess." She pointed to each girl.

Connie finally took a hint, and thankfully didn't reveal who she was. "Well, I see you girls are really busy so I'll talk to you later."

"Okay," Tess was already suspicious. She turned to the terrified brunette. "Do you know her?"

"Yeah, don't you?" Mitchie laughed nervously. "She's cooked for everybody from Jessica and Nick pre-break up, to Pharrell"

"Really?" Ella's eyes widened.

"Yeah, I'm shocked the camp even got her."

"You mean, _Jessica _ate these eggs?"

"Yeah,"


	7. Chapter 7

Shane played random notes on his prized possession; the guitar Brown had given him for his 9th birthday. He tried to forget about the way he had made Mitchie feel; he felt like he shouldn't care, best friend or not.

One thing he couldn't shake from his thoughts was the girl he had heard singing on the piano, her identity was a mystery to him.

He played the melody of the song.

"That's cool." Brown dropped down onto the chair beside him. "It's like your old stuff."

Shane shrugged. "Yeah, I was thinking group could change up our sound, do some different stuff."

He seemed excited, and it made Brown smile. He decided to push his limits with his nephew.

"So you coming up to the campfire?"

"Ha. Yeah right."

"Alright. You sit in here by yourself super star. Cause you're right, way cooler." Brown shook his head.

* * *

"So, your friends," Connie called to Mitchie. They were cleaning up the kitchen. "They seem nice. Tess is...interesting."

Mitchie shrugged, dropping a pile of dishes into the bubbly water. She was still irradiated with Shane, and the subtlety from her mother wasn't helping. "I know but, she's better once you get to know her."

"Yeah?" She wasn't taking a hint. "And have you? Have you gotten to know her?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"I don't know, she just doesn't seem like she's your type." Connie turned to face her daughter. "You know, you've always been so..."

"Invisible?" She demanded sarcastically.

"I was going to say _independent_. Hurry up and finish those potatoes if you wanna get to the campfire."

Half an hour later, Mitchie stood with Peggy and Ella in shimmering dresses, ready to sing back up for Tess.

Dee, energetic as ever, ran up onto the stage, mic in hand. The sun was setting, and it was the perfect summer night. "So, we call this the Camp fire Jam. It's about expression the freedom to be who you really wanna be! Hit it!"

_I'm too cool for my dress  
__These shades don't leave my head  
Everything you say is so irrelevant  
You follow and I lead  
You want to be like me  
But your just a wannabe  
love it or hate it I can't help the way I am  
Hope you don't misunderstand  
Cause I'm too cool  
Yeah I'm too cool To know you  
Don't take it personal  
Don't get emotional  
You know it's the truth  
I'm too cool for you  
You think your hot but I'm sorry, you're not  
Exactly who you think you are  
Can't tell you what you haven't got  
When we walk into the room  
__I'm too cool for you  
Lucky I'm so nice  
Even I'm surprised  
You are still allowed to be in my crew  
Show you how it's done  
If you want to be someone  
Just watch me and you'll learn some  
Me, myself, and I agree  
You'll never catch up with me  
Cause I'm too cool  
Yeah I'm too cool  
To know you  
Don't take it personal  
Don't get emotional  
You know it's the truth  
I'm too cool for you You think your hot but I'm sorry, you're not  
Exactly who you think you are  
Can't tell you what you haven't got  
When we walk into the room I'm too cool for you  
You see I'm all beauty, brains, and talents I got it all  
Well others have to try all their lives  
Still they never get the call  
That's the difference between you and me  
Obviously I'm a natural  
I'm the real deal  
I can't help the way I am  
Hope you don't misunderstand  
But I'm too cool  
Yeah I'm too cool  
To know you  
Don't take it personal  
Don't get emotional  
You know it's the truth  
I'm too cool for you  
Too cool  
Yeah I'm too cool To know you  
Don't take it personal  
Don't get emotional  
You know it's the truth I'm too cool for you_

The girls exchanged smiles. Mitchie could see Shane standing around the corner, a look of amusement on his face as he watched her.

"Did you enjoy singing backup?" A voice asked from behind her; Caitlyn. She didn't look amused. Not at all.

Tess glanced over her shoulder, waiting for her to fall into step beside them.

So she did.

* * *

The next day, she walked across the bridge with her guitar case in hand. She heard random notes and chords being played on a guitar. Immediately knowing who was behind the beautiful sound, she stopped to listen.

The music made her catch her breath, and the sound stopped abruptly.

"Can't a guy get some peace?"

"Sorry..." Mitchie had no idea why she was apologizing, since she had nothing to apologize for. "I mean...sorry."

"You said that already." Shane remarked bitterly. He was sitting on a stool by the water, his guitar on his lap.

"Sorry." She repeated as she walked over to him. "Was that you playing? It sounded kinda different."

He rolled his eyes. "Then my usual stupid cookie-cutter pop-star stuff? Sorry to disappoint."

That made Mitchie laugh. "You didn't. I liked it. I mean, it was good for stupid cookie-cutter pop star stuff."

Shane watched her carefully. Who was this girl, his best friend? When did she grow up so much?

He smiled, becoming the boy who forgot that he was famous for five seconds. This was the Shane that had lived next door to her; the boy that sent her flowers every valentines day because no other guy ever had. "Wow, you really know how to make a guy feel better."

"I thought you loved your sound. You created it here, you're like a Camp Rock legend."

"Some legend." The famous version of Shane was back. "I only play the music that the label thinks we'll sell. That's it."

"You don't think that song would sell?" Mitchie asked him, surprised.

"I don't know." He seemed to be in deep thought.

She was always one to give him advice at times like this. "Well, you'll never know if you don't try." Mitchie turned to walk away. "And by the way, I know of one girl that would buy that song."

Shane watched her walk away, completely in awe of the woman she was becoming.

* * *

Later, in the mess hall for dinner, Tess tripped over Caitlyn's outstretched foot on her way to their table.

"Oh, I'm so sorry-" She stammered, till she saw who it was. She had been on her laptop, making a new beat for her Pajama Jam performance. "Actually, I'm so not."

Tess glared at her. Mitchie thought it was almost funny how quickly her moods could change just like Shane's. They could have made the perfect couple.

"I would respond but-"

"But you are responding by saying that you're not responding." Ella shot back at Caitlyn, clearly thinking her remark would be clever enough to break up the fight.

"Shut up." Tess hissed at her through clenched teeth. Peggy and Ella headed to the table, but Mitchie stayed behind, hoping a fight wasn't about to break out.

She wasn't prepared for Tess to drop some of her noddles onto Caitlyn's shirt.

"Okay, that was on purpose." Caitlyn reached over to brush the spaghetti away. Her eyes were wide, still shocked that Tess Tyler would stoop this low.

"Does it matter?" She demanded, spilling more noodles. "Anything makes that outfit look better."

Tess dropped the rest of her lunch onto the curly haired girl. "See?"

"Stop! Guys stop! Stop!" Mitchie cried, surprised that no one was breaking the fight up.

Caitlyn took a handful of noodles and launched them at the unsuspecting blonde. "My spaghetti slipped."

"I can't believe you did that!"

"Neither can I." Brown, how long had he been standing there?, frowned. He used three fingers to point at Caitlyn, and then Mitchie, and then Tess. "I hate when I have to be un cool."

* * *

They ended up in his office, Caitlyn and Tess covered in Connie's Catering.

"Lay it on me."

The girls began to speak at once.

"She's always been jealous of me and can not stand the fact that I am probably going to win Final Jam so when he starts flinging-"

"She's impossible!"

"Whoa! Enough!" Brown snapped. "Make it plain. Who was the first one to throw food?"

"That's easy. Caitlyn."

"That's technically true, but..." Caitlyn trailed off, trying to think of a good excuse. There wasn't one.

"No buts." Brown sighed. "Since you wanna play with food, I can hook you up with a job this Summer. From here on out, your on kitchen duty."

"What?!" She fretted. "I mean, _ew_!"

He gave her a confused look and she smiled back innocently.

"But-"

"Again with the buts. Look, it's settled."

Tess smiled, satisfied that she had won once again. "Happy cooking."

Caitlyn glared at Mitchie, making her feel even more guilty. Caitlyn was a real friend, not Tess who would do anything to make sure that Brown, Shane, Peggy, Ella, and even Mitchie were on her side,

"Thanks a lot."


	8. Chapter 8

_Thanks a lot._

Those words stayed with Mitchie for the rest of the day. She was walking back to the kitchen, taking the long way so no one would see her. She had a large box of chips in her arms, having been sent to storage by her mother to retrieve them.

Shane, who was walking the other way, stopped her with the base of his guitar.

"Oh, ugh..." Mitchie looked at him, surprised.

"You hungry?" He teased, laughing.

She laughed too; he was relaxed, becoming his old self. "Just a little bit."

"Do you have a second?"

Mitchie looked over her shoulder, not exactly sure what she was searching for.

"Umm. Sure," She said with a smile.

Shane let out a breath, as if he had been nervous that she would say no. She would never say no to him; she loved her time with him and could never waste it. "I wanna run something by you."

He held his arm out, a sign for her to lead the way.

Mitchie dropped down to sit on the edge of the platform where she had found him the day before. Shane sat down next to her, before beginning to play a melody that she had never heard before.

_Every time I think I'm closer to the heart  
What it means to know just who I am  
I think I finally found a better place to start  
No one ever seems to understand  
I need to try to get to where you are  
Could it be you're not that far?  
__ You're the voice I hear inside my head  
The reason that I'm singing  
I need to find you  
Gotta find you  
You're the missing piece I need  
The song inside of me  
I need to find you  
I gotta find you  
Oh yeah  
Yeah  
Been feeling lost  
Can't find the words to say  
Spending all my time stuck in yesterday  
Where you are is where I wanna be  
Next to you, you next to me  
Oh I need to find you  
You're the voice I hear inside my head  
The reason that I'm singing  
I need to find you  
Gotta find you  
You're the missing piece I need  
The song inside of me I need to find you Gotta find you_

"Wow," Mitchie muttered. It was the only thing she could say. His music had always left her breathless.

"I heard this girl singing, and it kind of reminded me of the music that I liked." Shane began to explain, pleased by her reaction. "So I started playing around with some chords and, I know it's not finished but-"

"No. No! It's good." She rushed to defend the beautiful song. "It's really good. And I don't lie," She smiled at him.

Shane was watching her intently, an unreadable look in his eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked shyly.

He smiled because he had been caught. "I don't know," He admitted, and he didn't. The Mitchie Torres sitting beside him wasn't the same girl next door he had grown up with, "You seem different,"

"Good different," He added with a laugh.

"Yeah, definitely..._Different_."

"Mitch, about what I said the other day...In front of your friends..." He hated to apologize, more than anything. He never wanted to be sorry for his actions.

"It's okay," Mitchie promised, laughing it off. "You don't have to apologize. I already forgave you, Shay."

He nodded, before moving his hand over hers. "Mitch..."

They seemed to be having a _moment_, but she quickly ended it, jumping to her feet. Shane followed suit.

"So, I uh, I better get going."

"Back to the kitchen," He chuckled.

"What?!" Mitchie demanded, momentarily forgetting that he didn't know about her lie.

"To get some dip for these chips." Shane smiled at her.

"Oh!" She laughed. "Yeah, _right_."

He handed her the box of chips, patted her shoulder and left. Mitchie walked into the kitchen and dropped the box of chips onto the counter.

* * *

"Hey mom, how ya doin?"

Connie didn't look up from her recipe book. "I'm alright, how are you?"

She grinned at the memory of Shane playing the song for her. "I'm _great_, I'm _wonderful_, I'm _fantastic_, I'm-"

"Putting chips into bowls." She finished, pointing to the back of the kitchen.

Mitchie grabbed the box again, mumbling things under her breath as she walked away. "Right."

Caitlyn chose that exact moment to walk in, still cross about the fact that she now worked with the kitchen staff.

"Hey ."

"Hi Caitlyn," She greeted, finally looking up. "Thanks for coming in early. Taco night takes the entire kitchen staff and our six hands."

"Six?" Caitlyn asked. To her knowledge, Connie was the only one who worked in the kitchen.

"Yeah, My daughter." Connie wrote this off as if it wasn't any new information. She was heading towards the doors with her cookbook tucked under her arm. "So can you please start on the onions? Brown wants to talk to me about next week's campfire pig out."

"Sure," She said, and went to pick up the knife.

Mitchie, forgetting about Caitlyn's punishment, walked out and then froze. Thinking quickly, she grabbed a bag of chips and held it in front of her face.

"Hey, you must be hands five and six. I didn't know Connie has a daughter. I'm Caitlyn" She said, dropping the knife. One hand that had been holding onto the bag waved at her. "Do you need some help?"

Mitchie ran, hoping she could avoid Caitlyn. Always being a klutz was a curse for her, and she tripped over the mop bucket, sending her crashing to the floor in a pile of dirty water and crushed chips.

"Mitchie?" Caitlyn asked, shocked. She had ran over to make sure Connie's daughter was okay, but now she didn't care. The pieces of her sketchy story began to fall into place. "Wait a minute. You're the cook's daughter? She's your mom."

She laughed. "Oh, this is rich, but apparently, you're not."

Mitchie looked up at her, her expression unreadable. "So what are you waiting for, huh? Run. Go tell everybody."

Caitlyn crossed her arms. "Maybe I should."

"Fine, whatever."

"How long did you think you could keep your little secret?" She asked. They continued to lock eyes.

"Longer than this."

"Why?"

Mitchie looked at her, surprised that they were still even talking. "Why do you care?"

"Oh, I don't," Caitlyn lied. "But when I tell everybody, I want the whole back story."

"I just wanted to fit in, okay?" It was the only thing anyone ever wanted, and her so called "friend" was about to take that away from her.

"I think you're whole charade is stupid and immature. You're hiding behind some crazy lie"

Mitchie jumped to her feet, suddenly very angry. She got in Caitlyn's face. "What about you, huh? You hide too. The whole 'I don't care about anythingattitude? Well if you don't care, why are you here?"

Connie interrupted their fight, coming to grip her daughter by the shoulders. "What happened to you?"

"She got drowned in her lies." Caitlyn muttered.

"What, Caitlyn?"

"Nothing." She gave Mitchie a distant look, before walking away.

"Caitlyn," Mitchie called after her, in a desperate attempt to preserve her secret and rebuild their friendship. "Wait-"

Connie held her fast. "No no no, you can talk later. First you gotta get out of these wet clothes! Come on."


	9. Chapter 9

Later, before dinner, Tess sat at her 'VIP' table with Peggy and Ella beside her. They had a magazine spread out so they could all read it.

The quiz she had taken was about none other than Shane Gray.

"Says here in this magazine." She told them, pointing to things that would prove her point. "I'm Shane's type. It's just a matter of time."

Tess still had hopes of her daydream coming true. Shane Gray would come and wrap his muscular arms around her waist, and press his soft lips to her perfect red ones. Mitchie would be her Maid Of Honor, and _of course_ she and Shane could stay friends. Maybe Shane could even fix the poor, deluded girl up with one of his band mates.

"Warm, funny, talented...You?" Caitlyn muttered as she walked by on her way towards her table. "I don't get it,"

"Hey guys. What are you doing?" Mitchie dropped down next to Ella. She had taken a shower and changed clothes. Caitlyn wouldn't even look at her.

"The question is, what were _you _doing?" Tess narrowed her eyes, leaving the magazine to be forgotten on the table. Mitchie now had her full attention. "You're always AWOL."

"What?"

"Hey Mitchie!" Ella, with her lovable dimness, was perfect at changing the subject without even knowing it. "I was thinking after camp, maybe we could come to visit you and your mom in China, and go to that Happy Summer store."

"Ugh, sure! My mom would like that."

Back in their cabin, Tess threw an outfit down onto Mitchie's bed.

"Okay guys, tonight is the Pajama Jam. So, outfit check. White shorts, and green hoodies."

The girls looked at her questioningly.

"What?" She shrugged. "Green is Shane's favorite color. It was in the magazine."

Mitchie had to keep from laughing. Teen girls like Tess would believe _anything_ a magazine said. His favorite color was actually blue. At the age of thirteen, Shane had decided that Cameron Diaz had the prettiest eyes, and from then on, blue had become his color.

* * *

She left them again, this time telling the truth; that she was going to try and convince Shane to come and see them preform.

Tess gave her a bright smile, clearly pleased with her plan.

"Enter," She heard him call when she knocked on the door. Mitchie let it slam shut behind her.

Shane was lying on his bed, his laptop in front of him. She could hear another voice on the end, and realized that he was skyping with Nate and Jason.

"C'mere," He told her, not even looking up. She was the only one allowed to visit him.

"You guys ready for a special guest star?" Shane asked his band mates.

"Is it a bird?!" Jason was hysterical. The other two members of Connect 3 rolled their eyes.

"Ta da!" He announced. Mitchie came to sit on the bed beside him.

"Hey guys!"

"Hey future pop star," Nate teased. "How's Camp Rock treating our favorite girl, huh?"

She thought about telling them about her lie, but decided against it. They knew Mitchie Torres for being honest, not a liar. "I love it Natie. Thank you,"

"Why are you thanking me? Remember, I had _nothing_ to do with it," He was fighting a smile, and she knew it.

Shane stretched, before bringing one arm down to wrap around her shoulders. "Look, I see you guys every day. I need some time with my best friend, so we'll talk to you guys later?"

"Sure," Nate smiled, which meant his conversation with Shane must have gone well. "Have fun you two. Later Shane. Love you Mitch,"

"Love you munchkin!" Jason called from the background. "Don't forget about my birdhouse, Shane."

"Love you guys too!"

He ended the call before standing up, pulling her along with him. "What on earth are you wearing?"

Mitchie watched as he looked her up and down, before he began to laugh. "Seriously, Mitch. What is this girl making you do?"

"She seems to think that green is your favorite color,"

That made him frown. "Why are you going along with everything she does?"

She shrugged. "She's my friend. She makes me feel really important,"

"You _are_ really important."

"To who?"

Shane reached down and took her hand in his. "To me,"

Mitchie smiled up at him, before turning around and trying to lead him out the door.

"What do you think you're doing Michelle?" He only called her _Michelle_ to piss her off. Mitchie was tiny, and he could easily over power her. It was cute that she thought she could get him to go to something as stupid as _Pajama Jam_ so easily.

"_Please _Shane?"

Shane groaned; not her puppy dog eyes. He took charge, pulling her outside.

Mitchie squealed. "I won!"

"Just because you're cute," He told her gruffly, releasing her hand.

"Shane Gray thinks I'm cute,"

"The other lemmings are over there." Caitlyn hissed to Mitchie.

Peggy and Ella were standing in the middle of the room, all matchy-matchy.

"Look Caitlyn, about what happened-"

"Save it, Mitchie...If that's even your real name."

She sighed and walked over to the other backup singers. Shane was leaning against the wall; he had refused to change into pajamas.

"Are we ready?"

Peggy, Ella and Mitchie looked her up and down, before simultaneously crossing their arms and frowning. Tess was dressed in a pair of black leggings and a nice green shirt.

"Where are your T-shirt and shorts?"

Peggy cleared her throat. "Yeah, um, I thought that we were supposed to wear the same thing."

"The backup singers should wear the same thing, not the lead singer." Tess said, as if it were obvious. "_Hello_."

Dee was back on stage, her eyes bright as she waited for them to quite down. "Next, give it up, for the _awesome_...Caitlyn Geller!"

People cheered as the curly haired brunette ran up on stage. Her laptop was already set out, and there was a keyboard in front of her.

"And this is in honor of you awesome Camp Rockers." She announced as she climbed up on stage. She began to play a complicated beat on her laptop, all the while playing the keyboard along with it.

"She's really good!" Mitchie called to the others, and she meant it. Caitlyn had raw talent.

Shane was nodding to the beat, a small smile appeared on his face.

Ella noticed. "Hey, Shane likes her too!"

Tess would die before she would let someone like _Shane Gray_ enjoy _Caitlyn Geller. _"Help!" She screamed, drawing everyone's attention to her. Other girls began to scream. "Help there's a snake! Snake!"

Dee grabbed the 'snake' with another smile. "It's just the power cord to the sound system, Tess."

"Oh, right..." She blushed, feigning surprise. "My bad,"

Shane, disgusted by Mitchie's friend, shook his head and left. He was sick and tired of girls being so jealous of one another.

"You are so full of it!" Caitlyn hissed as she jumped down. She came to stand next to Mitchie, her eyes hardened.

"What?"

"You can't stand the fact that people might actually like what other people do."

Not bothering to respond with words, she brought her hand up and began to sign something that confused them all.

"Okay, what is that?"

"She said," Ella began, Peggy was nodding in agreement. She began to mimic the moves Tess had just done. "_What ever major loser."_

Now, Mitchie realized, this was her chance to stick up for Caitlyn and to prove that she was still her friend.

"Wow, Tess," She said with a laugh. "_What ever major loser_? That is _soooo_ last year, I mean everyone knows that." Her eyes feigned innocence. "Oh...Well, I guess not _everyone_."

Tess glared at her while the others laughed.

Caitlyn was about to grab Mitchie and pull her into a hug, but of course she still followed the queen bee as she turned on her heel and walked out of the Pajama Jam room.


	10. Chapter 10

"Hey!" Connie surprised them the next day. They were sitting side by side at a table, blowing up balloons, but they refused to speak to one another. "Does this look like a record, girls?"

Mitchie looked up at her, confused. "Huh?"

"I mean a CD." She tended to forget that her daughter's generation didn't know a _thing_ about real music; Mitchie's generation would say the same thing about Connie's generation. "Does this cookie look like a CD. Cause I want it to look authentic next to my eighth note cupcakes."

"Everything looks great, Connie."

"These theme nights are so busy, huh? Oh! I gotta go get the ice cream for my rolling stone cones. See ya later."

"So," Mitchie said to Caitlyn, after they were alone. It was her first time really trying to get their friendship back on track. "Are you signing up for Final Jam?"

"Ugh, yeah."

"So, what are you thinking about doing?"

"This is freaking me out." Caitlyn finally looked her in the eye. "Why are we talking?"

"I don't know." Mitchie admitted. "Maybe I'm slumming. Or maybe I wanted to set you up for that."

The girls laughed, surprising each other. They popped some of the deflated balloons

"So, thank you, for yesterday. But..."

"Hey, I always stick up for my friends." She began to bag up the millions of balloons they had already blown up. She carried the bag to the side of the room.

The next remark surprised her.

"It's fun being friends with Tess."

Mitchie turned back around to look at her, wondering if she was serious. It _was_ fun being friends with Tess, but it was also like if you took one wrong step, you would fall. "How would you know?"

"Because, I was friends with Tess." Caitlyn laughed bitterly. "I know, it's hard to believe."

"More like impossible. What happened?"

She shrugged. "Tess doesn't like competition, and she felt that I was. See, with her there can only be one star. Herself. Look, I know it's fun being friends with her, she can make you feel so important, and she's popular. But, so what?"

"Oh come on, being popular is so not _so what._"

"No, there are perks."

"Like," Mitchie tried to think. "Well like..."

Caitlyn cut her off. "Like, singing backup to Tess all the time? Like,never getting to say what you really feel? Oh! And those exciting short outfits? Those were real high points. You're right. Sell your soul."

She whacked her with a balloon.

"Hey! I'm on your side." She defended.

"Oh shoot!" Her minute of fun with Caitlyn was over. She was late, _again_. "I was supposed to go meet up with...We're practicing for...Final Jam."

Caitlyn frowned. "Of course. Her highness awaits."

Shane walked around his cabin, singing out loud. His notebook was tucked under his arm for easy reach whenever he got a new line for the song he was working on.

* * *

_Hands clappin, hips shakin_

His phone began to ring, and he pulled it out of his pocket. Nate and Jason were at Jason's house, hanging by the pool.

"Hello?"

"Hey buddy, how's my birdhouse comin?" Jason asked. The idea was now stuck in his head, no matter how many times the other two band members tried to convince him otherwise.

"Jason!" Nate hissed; they had called Shane to check up on him, not to badger him about something that would _never_ happen.

"Sorry, it's not my fault you didn't ask him to make you anything."

Their argument was just getting started.

"I didn't _want_ anything."

"Well I wanted a birdhouse."

"And what do you need a birdhouse for?"

"Cause' I wanted to see more birds in my-"

"Guys?" Shane was tired of their bickering, the same way they were tired of his attitude. "Guys!"

"Sorry," They said in unison.

"Listen, about me recording with a camper..."

Nate sighed, loudly. "You gotta do it, man. No go backs."

"Yeah. No go backs. It's like, the golden rule."

The argument resumed.

"No dude, the golden rule is tell the truth."

"Dude," Jason repeated. "Then it can be the silver rule."

"Why is it the silver rule?"

"Okay fine, the copper rule."

"Copper rule?"

"Aw, give me a hand at least."

"Guys," He interrupted them again.

"Sorry."

"Sorry."

"Listen I've been thinking about the whole recording thing and I think it's really cool." Shane said honestly. He _had_ put a lot of thought into it.

Nate and Jason shared a look. "Are you getting too much sun?"

"We can bring you a hat when we come to visit."

"I'm fine," He was. He was starting to act like himself again; the version of himself that didn't give a shit about the fame and fortune. "And remember, whoever wins. No go backs. See you guys Saturday."

He hung up, dropping the phone back into his jeans pocket. "Now I just gotta find that girl with a voice."

Nate continued to stare at the phone, in awe of the conversation they had just had with their band mate.

"Was that really Shane Gray on the phone?" He said to Jason, strumming a few notes on his guitar.

"No," Jason replied cheerfully. "That was just Shane on the phone. Not Shane Gray, hothead. Do you think Mitchie has anything to do with the way he's been acting?"

"I think she has _everything_ to do with it,"


	11. Chapter 11

Andy was in one of the empty music rooms, practicing the rhythm Shane had taught him the previous week.

He watched, pleased with his progress before walking into the room.

"Hey Andy, buddy. Wanna do me a favor?"

"Sure,"

Shane grinned before whispering something into his ear.

* * *

It was one of those moments, Andy told someone, who told someone else, who told someone _else_ and then the entire camp knew.

Shane Gray was looking for a girl with a voice.

The ones he heard, he tried to get away from. They followed him _everywhere_, even causing him to jump back into the lake after he had just gotten out.

There was a line of girls standing outside of his cabin, _praying_ they would be his mystery girl. Mitchie and Caitlyn passed by on their way to the mess hall.

"Aren't you gonna get in line?" She teased, elbowing her.

"Oh, it's not me. Trust me." Mitchie offered Shane a wink. The words hurt her, because she would have loved to be anything besides his best friend. "Anyway, he's never heard me sing."

* * *

_Turn on that radio, as loud as it can go gotta dance until ma feet can't feel the ground._

Shane had been reduced to hiding out behind the canoes for some privacy. He was still working on that new song; it was so close to being finished. Mitchie's words had really gotten to him the other day; maybe they could change their sound.

"So ugh," Mitchie had always been able to find him, no matter where he tried to hide. She was perched in a canoe, trying to read the words of his new song over his shoulder. "Does your voice sound better over here?"

"Why don't we get in one of these things and you can tell me."

They were going in circles on the lake; Shane had just finished telling her a bizarre after party story, making her laugh till she cried.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it was awesome."

Mitchie laughed again. "I don't think we're doing this right,"

"What? You don't like going in circles?" He teased, making faces at her.

The circling stopped, and she looked down at the bottom of the canoe.

"So, have you found your special girl yet?"

Shane watched her carefully before a grin spread across his face. Since when did Mitchie Torres act so shy around him? "Why, are you jealous?"

She finally looked him in the eyes, but she was blushing. "Jerk!"

"Hey, being a jerk is part of the rock star image." He defended. It was true.

"Keeping up an image can be tiring."

"But it keeps the posers away." Shane told her; he had never said this to anyone. "I never know if people are hanging with me for the free stuff, or for the parties."

"Oh, definitely the free stuff."

"Funny."

Mitchie sighed and tried to get him back in a good mood. "Come on, I know you really not a jerk." And she did. She knew him better than anyone. "I mean you're helping Andy with his dancing, and those screaming girls seem to like you."

"Which brings me back to the whole jealous thing." He grinned at her. He had always had the feeling that Mitchie liked him; she wasn't very subtle.

"I take that back! You are a jerk!"

Shane chuckled, splashing her with his paddle. "And you are the most real person I know,"

She stopped smiling. She wasn't real. She was fake. She was a liar.

"Shane..."

"No, let me finish Mitch," He pleaded.

Mitchie nodded.

"You have never cared about being friends with _Shane Gray_. You've always been friends with Shane, and I love you for that. You are the most important person in my world...Don't tell Jason,"

In response, she splashed him back, and then they were in a full-on splash war.

Watching from high grounds with her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed was Tess, and she did _not_ look happy.

* * *

Later that day, she followed Mitchie, giving Peggy and Ella time to practice on their song for Final Jam.

She watched the two girls interacting with the 'famous' Camp cook.

"Seriously mom." Mitchie dropped her drying rag onto the counter. "Okay, we're done with the dishes."

"Okay girls, have fun at the camp fire."

"Bye!" The girls said together, ready to run for the door.

"Bye, love you mom."

"Love you too, bye." Connie watched them leave. Tess did too. Mitchie Torres was about to be ruined.

* * *

"Hey gang!" Brown was on the stage; the same stage they had seen on their first day of camp.

"_We love you Brown!"_

"Alright, Alright! Good good good good good." He laughed. "Okay, score! I finally talked my nephew, into singing us a song! Shane, rock the camp!"

They erupted into screams as Shane took the stage. He grinned at them obliviously.

Mitchie and Caitlyn sat side by side, whispering about the parts of the song Shane had allowed them to hear over the last few days.

"Hey guys, I got a surprise for you. Guys, come on out."

Nate and Jason ran out of his cabin, guitars in hand. They took either side of his, scanning the crowd. For a split second, she and Nate locked eyes and he grinned at her.

"So we're gonna play something new, let us know what you think."

_Turn on that radio As loud as it can go  
__Wanna dance until my feet can't feel the ground  
Say goodbye to all my fears  
One good song and they disappear  
And nothing in the world can bring me down  
Hand Clapping Hip Shaking Heart Breaking  
There's no faking  
What you feel  
When you're right at home, yeah  
Music's in my soul I can hear it  
Every day and every night  
It's the one thing on my mind  
Music's got control and I'm never letting go  
No, no  
I just want to play my music  
Woo  
Got my six string on my back  
Don't need anything but that  
Everything I want is here with me  
So forget that fancy car  
I don't need to go that far  
What's driving me is following my dreams  
Yeah  
Hand Clapping Earth Shaking Heart Breaking  
There's no faking  
What you feel  
When you're on a roll, yeah  
Music's in my soul  
I can hear it  
Every day and every night  
It's the one thing on my mind  
Music's got control and I'm never letting go  
No, no I just want to play my music  
I just want to play my music  
Can't imagine what it'd be like  
Without the sounds of all my heroes  
Singing all my favorite songs  
So I can sing along  
Music's in my soul I can hear it  
Every day and every night  
It's the one thing on my mind  
Music's got control and I'm never letting go  
No, no  
I just want to play my music  
Music's in my soul I can hear it  
Every day and every night  
It's the one thing on my mind  
Music's got control and I'm never letting go  
No, no  
I just want to play my music  
All night long_


	12. Chapter 12

Mitchie got up from her seat as the boys ran off stage.

"Man, they loved it! You were right!"

Jason grinned. "I know I was right!...What did I do?"

"Not you, _Shane_." Nate began to talk fast, the way he did when he was determined about something. "The label has to let us do this."

"Ha, they won't." Shane remarked bitterly. "Look at what they made us call the band."

"Yeah! How can we do that?"

"If we hit the studio tonight, we can get them a demo by tomorrow. Man they can't say no once they hear this."

"They can't?" Jason was too, know getting excited about the idea.

Shane shook his head. "Guys, I can't just leave. I'm not finished here yet."

"Oh my god!" Mitchie gushed. Her cheeks were flushed, which meant she had been running to get to them. "You guys were amazing!"

Nate swept her up in a hug, before pressing his lips to her hairline. "Well hello little rock star,"

"_Munchkin!_" Jason grabbed her, lifting her feet off the ground and spinning her around till she couldn't see straight.

"Jase!" Mitchie shirked, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. "Oh my god you guys. Shane, that was..._amazing_!"

"Glad you liked it Mitch," He chuckled and crossed his arms.

Jason finally let Mitchie go and she ran to her best friend, burrowing her face into his chest. Shane uncrossed his arms to wrap them around her. "Come on. Let's go back down there...I'll see you guys later?"

Nate watched them, a smug smile his face. "Alright man, do what you gotta do."

"We are talking about finishing my bird house, right?"

"Come on," He grabbed Jason by his jacket, yanking him along. "See you at Final Jam,"

"Alright,"

"Bye!"

* * *

When they rejoined the rest of the campers, Caitlyn and Mitchie went back to gushing over the song.

"That was the best song ever! It was _so_ great!"

"That was so amazing."

"I know! And it was so-"

"_Sweet!"_

Shane was somewhere behind her, taking the praise they were easily handing to him. They were all about head to the mess hall to eat dinner, with Shane, to celebrate and party. Everything was perfect.

"Hey Mitchie!" Tess called. Ella and Peggy were flanking her, as usual. "Tell us about your mom again."

The two girls shared a look, and Caitlyn rushed to defend her friend. "Her mom is a..._great_ person." She turned to Barron, desperately trying to change the subject. She knew what Tess was doing. "What's your mom like?"

"Ugh," Barron said with a laugh. He was standing with Lola and Sander; they had been talking about an idea for song she's like a mom."

"I mean I know she's the president of Hot Tunes TV China. But tell me again about how important she is."

Mitchie seemed to know what Tess was doing too; her eyes were determined, her lips pursed.

"She..."

"I'm sorry, what?"

Now she refused to look anyone in the eye. Shane was still behind her, listening intently. He would be ready to jump to her defense at any time.

Little did he know that the 'most real person in his world' was about to be caught in her lie,

"She's pretty cool..." Mitchie mumbled, her eyes stayed glued to the ground.

"And?"

"And...She's _not_ the president of Hot Tunes TV China."

Shane narrowed his eyes; what the hell was she talking about? Of course her mom wasn't President of Hot Tunes TV China; she was Connie, owner of Connie's Catering.

_What did you do, Mitchie_? He thought.

"What's that? She's not president?" Tess's eyes widened, feigning surprise. "You mean, you _lied_ to everybody?"

"_No!_ I was-"

"So she's what? A Vice president? Treasurer?"

"Tess!" Caitlyn hissed.

"Shut up,"

Caitlyn's face fell as she realized that Tess was going to win; she always won.

"Go on, tell us."

Mitchie took in a shaky breath. "No...She's a cook."

"A cook? At Hot Tunes China." She was a good actress, trying to make it sound like she was trying to help.

Shane's jaw tightened.

"No...Here."

"So you lied. Your mom cooks our food- and you help her. That's the only way you could afford this camp, right?"

Caitlyn touched her friend's arm, trying to comfort her. "You're a real jerk!"

She shrugged, her eyes smug. She had won again. "Maybe, but at least I'm not a big, fat liar. Come on guys."

Peggy stared at her, shaking her head. Out of the three girls, Mitchie had been her one true friend. Ella had always been trying to suck up to their leader to be there for her. "Mitchie?"

"Mitchie has dishes to do." Tess hissed, spinning around on her heel. She was ready to leave. "Let's go."

Her posse followed her, but the others stayed to watch the other scene unfold.

"Shane!" Mitchie cried, turning to face him. His expression was cold, and it killed her to see him look at her that way.

"You were lying all summer." He spat, feeling so stupid though he didn't know why. His Mitchie never lied about who she was.

"Yes! But..,"

"You know I'm so used to people pretending around me," Shane refused to look her in the eye; he knew if he did, it would break him. "I never thought you would do that Mitchie."

"I was not pretending!" She told him; she had never pretended around him. Everything she had ever said to him had been real.

"And I really thought you were different! But you're just like everyone else! You wanna be friends with Shane Gray, not me. Trick's on me, huh?"

"I was just trying to..." Her words weren't coming out. "Shane! I'm still your best friend!"

"Save it for your interview with pop informer magazine. I know I gave you an earful." Shane hissed. He drew away from her. "I don't even know you anymore Mitch." He looked her up and down as if she repulsed him before turning on his heel and walking away.

Tears burned her eyes, and clouded her vision. Caitlyn wrapped an arm around her. "Not here you don't. Come on."

* * *

She led her to Connie's cabin, where she locked her arms around her friend and let her cry.

Later, when she was alone, she took out her phone and dialed the all too familiar number. He answered on the second ring.

"Nate," Her voice cracked. "I really screwed up."


	13. Chapter 13

"So what exactly happened last night?"

Brown had dropped down onto the chair next to him with that straightforward question. No hey, or how's it going, or a how are ya?

"Nothing." Shane replied coldly. He was wearing his famous skinny jeans and a dark blue sweater Mitchie had given him for his birthday the previous year.

"Didn't look like nothing to me mate. You looked _crushed_, _pummeled_, absolutely _destroyed_..."

He gave his uncle a look that shut him up before rolling his eyes. His guitar was perched on his lap, the melody he had heard that girl singing on his first day there played over and over again in his mind like a broken record.

"I _got_ it uncle Brown. Look, whatever. I'm just gonna focus on my music, change my sound. I don't wanna get side tracked with liking someone anyway."

"You still looking for that girl?" Shane looked at him again, this time in surprise. "What? I'm plugged into the camp gossip mate."

"It's crazy. I have her song stuck in my head!" He began to sing the chorus.

_This is real, this is me, I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now, gonna let the light..._

* * *

Tess had been nice enough to leave Mitchie's things in place until she could come and collect them; _after_ they were gone of course. The less of that liar she had to see, the better.

She picked up Mitchie's song book cautiously, looking over her shoulder as if she were to get caught. She flipped to the song she had sang for them her first night.

"This is real, This is me, I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. Gonna let the light, shine on me...Mitchie you are so _never _going to see Final Jam."

Tess laughed and fingered the bracelet her mother had given her before slipping it off her wrist. "What a joke."

The next day, Mitchie and Shane were both late to his class. They knocked into each other, her falling to the ground.

He reached out without looking at her and held out his hand; he had been raised right. Mitchie took it and jumped to her feet. When he was sure she was steady, he threw open the door and let it slam shut behind him.

"Hey guys, have a seat." They dropped to the floor, completely ready to follow his instructions. "So Final Jam is coming up, and I know you're all very excited."

They began to cheer, elbowing each other.

Mitchie walked in, happy to avoid the others. She took a seat in the back, tears streaming down her cheeks at the realization that she may have just lost her best friend.

"_Let him cool off," _Nate had said to her on the phone the night before; he had stayed up all night just letting her talk, and cry.

"_What did I do?" _She'd asked, making an ugly hiccuping sound. _"I screwed up Nate! He hates me,"_

"_He loves you," _He reassured her. "_And you didn't screw up, Mitch. You made a mistake; Shane's made more than a handful. Just keep your head up, alright?"_

Shane was still talking, a grin on his face despite the bitterness he still felt whenever he looked at his best friend. He hated being upset with her, but the girl sitting on the floor wasn't his Mitchie; he didn't know who she was.

"So here's some advice. It's not all about your image. None of it means anything unless people see who you really are. And your music has to be who you really are, it's gotta show how you feel, or it doesn't mean anything."

The words were like a slap in the face, because she didn't even know who she was anymore.

* * *

"I didn't know you felt so ashamed of yourself." Connie muttered. She had finally gotten Mitchie out of the cabin, suggesting they take a walk so she could clear her head. Now, she wrapped her arms around her daughter, trying to comfort her.

"I'm not ashamed!" Mitchie tried to pull away, but her mom held her fast. "It's just for once I just wanted to fit in and be popular."

"What do you mean? You have plenty of friends at home."

She shook her head. "I have one. And the last time I checked, no one was _busting_ their butts to sit next to us at the lunch table. And when I got here I just...I just wanted it to be different. You know? Just once." She sighed, ready to cry again. "I wanted to spend my summer at a place that really created my best friend, and to have a summer be all about music."

Connie pulled her in for a hug, stopping at the trail. "My sweetie, you are so much more then you can see. You don't have to lie about who or what you are. I'm not just saying it cause I'm your mom! Well okay, I admit I'm a little bit biased. But it is so true. You are talented. Your music speaks to people! People wanna listen to you. And it is not just me and your dad."

* * *

Shane was walking back to his cabin when someone tapped him on the shoulder before he heard his name being called.

"Shane,"

He whirled around, knowing that voice _very_ well. "Connie!" He offered her a smile before leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. "I've been meaning to stop by and see you,"

Connie hooked her arm through his and they began to walk again, going past his cabin. He didn't try to stop her; she was about to tell him something very important.

"I'm worried about Mitchie,"

Shane sighed. The one person he didn't _want_ to talk about, and the one person he so desperately wanted to forgive. "Connie..."

"I'm not saying what she did was right,"

He nodded, not knowing quite what to say. Maybe it was better to let her finish.

"She's been having a pretty rough time, Shane." Connie stopped walking, a far away look in her eyes. "I think she's started to have thoughts about cutting again, and it seems like she never wants to go out and do things with her friends...I don't know. She's really missed you, Shane. The only person she ever talks about is you."

Shane processed this. He wasn't sure if he could forgive her for lying, at least not yet. But with her behavior in the past...he couldn't trust her to be alone for too long.

"I'll talk to her."


	14. Chapter 14

"Hey guys, can I sit with you?"

Mitchie hadn't had an appetite at all, but her mother insisted that she take a piece of the cake she had made earlier and she had relented, throwing it down onto her tray.

Now, she walked over to Caitlyn's table, where she was sitting with the rest of the gang she should have befriended her first day instead of being blinded by the lifestyle Tess had offered her.

Caitlyn looked at the others who shrugged, before glancing up at Mitchie. "I guess..." And then she smiled. "But you have to give me your cake."

"Okay, deal." Mitchie rolled her eyes, smiling for the first time in a long time. She gladly handed the plate to her friend before dropping down onto the bench beside her.

"You know, sitting with the kitchen help is really hurting my rep." Barron teased. He grinned at her, showing her that he wasn't mad.

Lola rolled her eyes at him. "What rep?"

Tess looked over at her and began to laugh. Mitchie was ready to get up and sprint back to her cabin, but Caitlyn stopped her.

"Believe me, it's probably not that funny."

The posse got up and began to walk to the trash can, but their leader stopped and turned. "The chicken was kind of dry. Could you tell your mom to be just a little more careful?"

Caitlyn was about to jump to her defense, but Mitchie surprised everyone, including herself. She got up, pushing herself away from the table. "Tess. Stop talking to me like that! Stop talking to everybody like that! I may be the cook's daughter, and my dad may not be rich, but I'm a much better person then someone who feels good about herself, because she makes everyone else feel bad. And I'll take that any day."

Tess narrowed her eyes; _no one_ talked to her like that. "If it wasn't obvious, you are _so _out of the group."

The others grinned at her; their girl was amazing.

"Then we'll make our own group."

* * *

The next day, Tess got her revenge. She waltzed into the kitchen, Brown at her heels. She leaned against the wall, her arms crossed. She was about to win again.

"I'm sure they have it!"

Caitlyn stopped working and glanced up at Mitchie. "Okay she has officially lost it."

"No, I didn't _lose_ anything, you guys _stole_ it!"

It was Mitchie's turn to look at Caitlyn. "What?"

"What's going on here?" Connie demanded, coming to stand in front of the two girls.

"Tess thinks that Mitchie, and Caitlyn stole her charm bracelet."

"_What?!" _The girls cried in unison. As much as they both _hated_ Tess, they would have never taken her stupid bracelet.

"I'm sorry Brown, but these girls would never do such a thing."

Brown sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn't want to believe Tess either, but he was obliged too. "Look, let's just settle this alright?"

"But-"

"I know it was her!" Tess pointed an accusing finger at her former friend. "She was lying all summer about who she is. Who knows what else she'd lie about."

Connie shook her head, starting to become the over protective mother that others feared. "Now wait a minute..."

"Mom," Mitchie reached out to touch her arm. "Don't. If she wants to look let her, this is stupid,"

"Okay, look. Let me just scope this out, and then I'll have a quick look in your cabin, alright?"

Connie was about to protest, to ask him where his proof was, or why he would believe the daughter of an overrated pop singer, but her daughter interrupted her again.

"Fine." She said as Caitlyn mumbled under her breath. "Whatever."

Brown let his eyes survey the room, making sure he didn't miss a thing.

"You're not gonna find anything, cause we didn't..." Her voice trailed off when she noticed that his gaze was fixed on one side of the room.

He walked over to some cookbooks and pulled an object out from under them. The bracelet, one of a kind, glittered in the sun.

"That's it! That is my charm bracelet."

"There's gotta be some mistake."

"Like what?" Tess spat, turning her attention to the mother of the liar. "I snuck into the kitchen and..."

"Tess, I got this." Brown told her, and she left, shooting Mitchie and Caitlyn a triumph look. He turned to the girls. "I am totally wigged out."

"Yeah, So are we!"

"Well rules, are rules. And since it's the end of camp. I have no choice. I've got to ban you guys from the rest of camp activities. Until the end of Final Jam."

Mitchie and Caitlyn looked shocked. "We didn't do anything! She's lying!"

"Do you have any proof?"

"No!" Mitchie cried. She didn't. "But-"

"Then I'm sorry, my hands are tied..._Until the end of Final Jam_."

* * *

That night, at dinner, Brown walked into the mess hall with a clipboard tucked under one arm and a mic in his free hand.

"Camper mates! And mate-ets. I am holding the line up for Final Jam. I am going to pin it up on the wall. Let me get out of the room before you all come." The campers ran up to him all at once. "Goodness me!"

"This is so not fair!" Mitchie muttered to Caitlyn. They were the only ones left sitting.

"I know."

Jason peered through the glass of Shane's cabin. "Guess who?!"

Shane rolled his eyes at Jason's behavior. "Dude you're in the room I can see you."

"I can see you too man!" He exclaimed, his over-excited attitude already through the roof. "I've missed you. Group hug!" Jason pulled the two boys in, making them grunt in surprise. He didn't see to mind that they didn't hug back. "Much better. It hasn't been the same just hugging Nate."

"Yeah," He muttered sarcastically, pushing him away. "It hasn't been. So, good news. The press is here, and they're gonna cover the whole night. The label loves it."

"That's awesome!" He was genially happy, reaching out to high five his best friend. Nate looked over Shane's shoulder with a smile and walked outside. Shane went to follow him.

Hey man, where's this amazing singer you've been looking for?" He asked, stopping him. He earned a look of surprise. "What? I know things!"

"I'm hoping to find her tonight." He told Jason, before letting the screen door slam behind him. Nate was standing there with his arms around a thin and frail looking girl.

Mitchie.

"Shane," She said, the same way she had the other day. She broke away from his band mate, coming to stand in front of him. "Hear me out. Please,"

Shane crossed his arms, his gaze fixed on the ground. "Why should I?"

"Because I'm still your best friend!" Mitchie pleaded. "I'm still your Mitchie,"

He came closer, despite Nate's warning, and grabbed her arm. "You're still _my_ Mitchie? _My_ Mitchie isn't a liar. _My_ Mitchie wouldn't sellout to someone as fake as Tess Tyler. My Mitchie would be proud of herself, and my Mitchie would come to _me_ if she felt like she was going to hurt herself again."

Self-consciously, Mitchie pulled her sleeve down to try and hide the scars he had seen so many times before. "I haven't been thinking about it,"

"Oh come on," He responded bitterly. "I talked to your mom, Mitchie. You haven't been eating, you don't hang out with your friends."

His comment pissed her off. "What friends, Shane? You mean my _one_ friend back home? Or how about my three best friends? The three super stars that are _never_ home. Two of them who call me and text me any chance they get, and then there's the one who I've known forever. The one who only texts me after I'm asleep, or will call me only to hang up after three minutes because something else becomes more important. What about the best friend who will drag me to after parties and leave me alone with creepy wannabee guys while he dances the night away with some beautiful girl. What about the best friend who didn't even _notice_ the first time I cut myself?" Her voice was icy, tears clouded his vision. "You know what, Shane? I'm not your Mitchie. You're right! I'm not! And guess what. You're not my Shane, because the Shane Gray I know...knew, I guess, would have been there for me. He wouldn't have _left _me to deal with everything alone!"

Shane's expression was unreadable. He took a step towards her, muttering her name once. "Mitch..."

Nate stepped in between them. "Come on," He said in a low voice, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her down towards the lake.

He started to go after them, but Jason stopped him. "Let Nate calm her down,"

"Nate's not her best friend!"

"No." He agreed. "But he's been there for her, Shane. And they've had some pretty good talks,"

"Get off of me," Pop star Shane was back. He knocked Jason's hand away and slammed the door to his cabin.


	15. Chapter 15

"C'mere," Nate muttered. He slipped his arms around her waist and let her cry. "It's okay, Mitch. You two will get through this,"

She didn't say anything, but buried her face into his chest, sobbing.

"You haven't...hurt yourself again...Have you, Mitchie?" He pulled back for a minute, looking her in the eyes as he spoke.

"No." She promised him. "No!"

"Okay," Nate hugged her again. "I'm sorry, Mitch. I shouldn't have brought it up. Listen to me, alright? This will all blow over, okay? You know who you are Mitchie. You are so strong, and beautiful and good hearted. You've always known who you are, even if you lost her for a little while this summer."

"Mitchie?" A different voice, female this time, asked. "Hey...What happened."

He looked up to see a curly haired girl wearing very bright, vibrant clothing standing there watching them.

"Who are you?" He asked defensively. He tended to be over protective.

"I'm her friend." Caitlyn announced, catching hold of her hand. "And you are...?"

"Nate Black," Nate answered, surprised. He wasn't used to girls not going fan-crazy around him. "From Connect 3? I'm friends with Mitchie?"

"Oh," Was her reply, before she pulled her friend from his embrace into one of her own. "Right,"

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," Caitlyn hadn't meant to offend him. "It's just that...you look different, out here in the real world."

That made him laugh, and he came to stand closer to them. "The real world, huh?"

Mitchie pulled away from Caitlyn, no matter how upset she was, she would have never missed her two friends flirting.

"Mitch, are you okay here with..." Nate trailed off. Both of the girls stared at him, watching his cheeks turn a rosy pink. "This is the part where you say your name."

She laughed. "Oh, right. I'm Caitlyn."

They shook hands. "Mitch, are you okay here with Caitlyn? I have a meeting with Brown...and..."

She hugged him. "I'm _fine_, Natie. Thank you."

* * *

"This was supposed to be a fun summer that was all about music," Mitchie complained to Caitlyn half an hour later. They were sitting on the dock, their legs dangling over the edge. "And all I did was get caught up in Tess drama."

"It happens." Caitlyn told her. She was focused on her laptop.

"I can't believe I agreed to be some backup singer, just because I got intimidated."

"That's what Tess can do to you."

"No," She shook her head, completely disagreeing. "_I_ did it to me."

Caitlyn was perfect at changing the subject. "I've never seen Brown so..._harsh_."

"I know, he just kept repeating..._Until the end of Final Jam_."

She laughed, finally glancing at her friend. "Um, I know. I was there."

Mitchie began to process the words she had just repeated before a grin spread across her face. She jumped to her feet, taking off in a full off sprint. Caitlyn watched her in disbelief.

"What?" She demanded as her friend came back, grabbing her hand. She almost lost her grip on her computer. "What?"

"Come on, let's go, let's go!"

* * *

Okay, who's stoked?!" Brown asked as he walked on stage. The Final Jam stage had been cleaned the day before, and it was packed with the campers parents.

Shane, Nate and Jason sat at the judge's table, ready and waiting.

The audience began to scream.

"Okay campers, friends, family, camp rock fans. This is it, tonight...Music history will be made, as Camp Rock finds a new Final Jam winner!"

* * *

Backstage, Tess stood in the most private corner she could find with her two back up singers. "Five, Six, Seven, Eight."

_Come on. Come on, look at you. Come on, come one, look at me..._

"This is not amateur night." She hissed, cutting them once again. "This is serious!"

Ella frowned. "We did it right!"

"No! You didn't! You never do. I'm trying to win here. You guys may be used to losing, but I'm not. I'm tired of picking up the slack."

Peggy did something that surprised all three of them. She stood her ground against her 'best friend.' She was tired of Tess's BS. "Stop telling us, what to do! _You're_ the one who is ruining everything you're too intense, all the time, and I am sick and tired of picking up your slack too!" For the first time in her life, she walked away fro, Tess Tyler and all of her glory.

"Peggy! Come back here!" Tess called after her, _not_ taking being walked away from well at all. She turned to Ella, trying to hide her anger. "Who needs her? She was holding us back. Now you really better not mess up."

But Ella was done with her too. She stormed away, shouting over her shoulder. "You know what!? Don't worry about me, so it yourself. I'm done! B.T.W., your lip gloss is _so _not glossy anymore!"

* * *

"This year, the Final Jam winner will not only get a Camp Rock trophy. And a big one, I might add, He or she is going to get a sweet prize. A chance, to record with my nephew, pop star Shane Gray! To make sure, the right camper is chosen, we've invited the other members of Connect 3 to be judges!"

The audience began to scream, younger girls craning their necks to try and get a good look at the three boys.

"Okay, put your hands together for Barron James,Sander Loyer, and the Hasta La Vista Crew!"

The music began, and Barron's dancers ran onto stage.

"It's your boy Barron!" He announced as Sander began to beat box. "And it's the place to be, come rock with me!"

The boys stood back to back, arms crossed as the crowd went wild.

_Couldn't wait to leave but now I have to go_

While singing the first line, Barron pointed to Ella, who stood by the steps leading up to the stage. Her smile grew as they beckoned to her. They slipped their hands under her arms and lifted her up to sing with them.

_Last day of camp, packing my bags slow  
Made so many friends why does it have to end  
In the end it's a win because we grown so close together  
Remember when we first met, first day  
Figured this would be no fun, no way  
And now it time to leave, but now we wanna stay  
Stay, stay, stay, stay, stay  
Hasta la vista  
, I'm gonna say goodbye to you  
Whatever happens I'll be cool with you  
Wanna give me your number,  
I'm a call ya  
Promise I won't forget ya  
__Hasta la vista,  
we'll all be going separate ways  
__Say everything you didn't say  
This is your moment before you go_

_Come on now, get up and show them  
Keep doing your thing, thing, thing  
Keep doing your thing, thing, thing  
And I'mma do my thing  
There's so much inside of me  
There's so much more I just want to be  
All the things I've seen obviously  
I'm inspired  
Got love for all the friendship I've acquired  
Everybody put a hand up, put a hand up  
Hey, hey, hey  
Everybody put a hand up, put a hand up  
Hey, hey, hey  
Hasta la vista,  
I'm gonna say goodbye to you  
Whatever happens I'll be cool with you  
Wanna give me your number,  
I'm a call ya  
Promise I won't forget ya  
Hasta la vista, we'll all be going separate ways  
Say everything you didn't say  
This is your moment before you go  
Come on now, get up and show them  
Keep doing your thing, thing, thing  
Keep doing your thing, thing, thing  
Keep doing your thing, thing, thing  
Keep doing your thing, thing, thing  
la vista  
la vista Hasta la vista,  
I'm gonna say goodbye to you  
Whatever happens I'll be cool with you  
Wanna give me your number,  
I'm a call ya  
Promise I won't forget ya Hasta la vista, we'll all be going separate ways  
Say everything you didn't say  
This is your moment before you go  
Come on now, get up and show them  
la vista  
A, hasta la vista_

They finished and the two boys threw their arms around her neck, a sign of comfort. She was one of them now, and she felt _amazing_. Camp Rock could actually be fun with the right kind of people.

"Oh my goodness! Okay! Now, let's give it up for a group that has the _it_ factor. Whatever _it _is. The IT girls!"


	16. Chapter 16

he Hasta La Vista group ran off as Tess surveyed the auidence from her spot backstage. One very familiar looking blonde sitting behind Connie and Steve made her do a double take.

"Mom?!"

_Wake up when will things be good enough for you to see  
__ All that we can be I'm sick of playin' games and actin' like we never care  
That we're never there  
We pay attention for only seconds  
Look at you, look at me  
There's never any us, can't you see?  
__ All we can become we can shine like the sun  
If we believe that 2 stars are brighter than one  
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, look at you  
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, look at me  
Is it too much to ask that you put us first, oh?  
I feel like we're last in the universe  
And that's not where we oughta be  
Look at you, look at me  
There's never any us, can't you see?  
All we can become we can shine like the sun  
If we believe that 2 stars are brighter than one  
Look at you, look at me  
__ There's never any us, can't you see?  
All we can become we can shine like the sun  
If we believe that 2 stars are brighter than one_

Tj's phone began to ring, and instead of shutting it off, she answered it. Tess watched her ready to cry, but kept going.

She repeated the chorus, missing her cue to step back onto the mirror. She tripped, one of her background dancers caught her, the only thing that kept her from falling.

* * *

"Well!" Brown rushed on stage to cover her. "It looks like we are basically finished the comp..." Dee thrusted a card in his face. "Put it on pause, we have a last minute addition. Come on up-Margaret Dupree!"

"Who's Margaret?" Ella asked Peggy. They were standing side by side, watching the crowd.

"I am." Peggy told her with a laugh, before picking up her guitar and walking out.

"Go Margaret!"

_They tell you a good girl is quiet and that you should never ask why  
'Cause it only makes it harder to fit in  
You should be happy, excited even if you're just invited  
'Cause the winners need someone to clap for them  
__It's so hard just waiting in a line that never moves  
It's time you started making your own rules  
You gotta scream until there's nothin left with your last breath  
So here I am, here I am, make 'em listen '  
Cause there is no way you'll be ignored not anymore  
So here I am, here I am, here I am, here I am  
You only get one life to work it so who cares if it's not perfect  
Say it's close enough to perfect for me  
Why should you hide from the thunder and the lightning that you're under  
'Cause there ain't nobody else you wanna be  
If how your living isn't working there's one thing that will help  
You gotta finally just stop searchin to find yourself  
You gotta scream until there's nothin left with your last breath  
So here I am, here I am, make 'em listen  
'Cause there is no way you'll be ignored not anymore  
So here I am, here I am, here I am  
The world better make some room, yeah, move over, over '  
Cause you're coming through, 'cause you're coming through  
You gotta scream until there's nothin left with your last breath  
Here I am, here I am, make 'em listen  
'Cause there is no way you'll be ignored not anymore  
So here I am, here I am, here I am, here I am, here I am_

There was more applause for her than anyone so far. Peggy smiled shyly before running back towards her friends. Ella hugged her. They suddenly realized how good they actually were without Tess. They were so much more than back up singers.

Barron and Sander were next to congratulate her.

"I'm sorry," She muttered as Barron hugged her. "You were really great, by the way."

"Not as good as you," He replied. "And for what's it worth, you should never have to put up with a diva like Tess Tyler. You and Ella are too good for her,"

"Peggy?"

Speaking of the diva.

"What?" Peggy demanded as she turned around to face her. The others stayed close behind to back her up. "What could you possibly want?"

Tess shifted from one foot to the other, uncomfortable as the rest of them, "You were really good, I didn't know you were that good and when someone's that good, someone should tell them."

They all shared a look; the Tess Tyler they knew _never_ said anything like that before.

"Thanks." She said, still in shock, before turning back to the others. It was the only thing she could say.

"And I'm sorry." Tess whispered, not sure if she had been heard or not. She was sorry, and maybe someday she would be able to prove it.

* * *

Back on stage, Brown glanced over at his nephew, deep in conversation with his band mates. All of the acts had been phenomenal, and it would be hard to chose who had won. "Wow! That was amazing I know! I know! Alright,alright, alright, settle down. Settle down sunshine. Whoo! I guess that's it! It's officially, the end of Final Jam. And time for our judges to go off in private and well...judge."

Shane nodded at him as they walked to the back of the room. "So, I'll check you in a minute."

A unidentifiable sound stopped him.

"Scuse me for a minute."


	17. Chapter 17

Caitlyn, the reason behind the strange noise, stood backstage, clasping Mitchie's hand. Mitchie had a mic in her free hand. She looked hopeful.

"It's the end of Final Jam." She begged.

Brown's eyes lit up, as a smile grew on his face. "I was so hoping you'd catch on. Now get out there, steal their hearts and rock it poppet!"

The girls grinned at each other; Caitlyn almost having to push her out.

The music began to play, again curtsey to her friend. Everyone watched, curious as to what this girl could do.

_I've always been the kind of girl  
That hid my face  
So afraid to tell the world  
What I've got to say  
But I have this dream  
Right inside of me  
I'm gonna let it show  
It's time to let you know to let you know  
This is real  
This is me I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now  
Gonna let the light shine on me  
Now I've found who I am  
__There's no way to hold it in_

Shane had been in deep conversation with Jason and Nate about how they all thought should win; a unanimous decision.

He turned around suddenly, surprising the other two members of Connect 3 and his uncle. His eyes went wide.

_No more hiding who I wanna be  
This is me_

"That's the song!" Shane exclaimed. He was in awe, for the girl with the voice was his Mitchie, standing up on stage, singing her heart out.

"So that must be the girl." Nate said with a smile.

"Ya think?!" Jason grinned, completely oblivious to the fact that his band mate had just grabbed the mic out of Brown's hand.

_Do you know what it's like  
To feel so in the dark  
To dream about a life  
Where you're the shining star  
__Even though it seems  
Like it's too far away  
I have to believe in myself  
It's the only way  
This is real  
This is me  
I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now  
Gonna let the light shine on me  
Now I've found who I am  
There's no way to hold it in  
No more hiding who I wanna be  
This is me_

Mitchie sang the last note strong, taking a second to breathe. She froze for a minute, realizing that she had never given the song an ending.

_You're the voice I hear inside my head  
__The reason that I'm singing  
I need to find you  
I gotta find you_

It was her turn to be in awe; Shane was singing the song he had played for her that day by the lake. He began to walk up the stairs, a smile on his face and his eyes shinning.

_You're the missing piece I need  
The song inside of me  
I need to find you  
I gotta find you_

Mitchie returned his smile.

_This is real  
This is me  
I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now  
Gonna let the light shine on me  
Now I've found who I am  
There's no way to hold it in  
No more hiding who I wanna be  
This is me_

Their smiled continued to grow, if even possible. Shane reached over, took her free hand and squeezed it.

_You're the missing piece I need  
The song inside of me  
This is me  
__You're the voice I hear inside my head  
The reason that I'm singing  
Now I've found who I am  
There's no way to hold it in  
No more hiding who I wanna be  
This is me_

They finished and the crowd erupted in cheers. Their hands stayed intertwined before he drew her too him and threw his arms around her shoulders.

Her friends back stage began to clap, whistle and scream.

Their hug said everything, forgiveness, amusement, the love they both felt for each other.

* * *

And all to soon, it ended. Mitchie was ushered back to stand with Caitlyn, Peggy, Ella, Barron and Sander who welcomed her with open arms. Nate and Jason joined him on stage with Brown.

"Okay gang, this is it" He announced, as the card was handed to him. "The winner of Final Jam this year is, drum roll please...Margaret Dupree!"

"You won!" Mitchie squealed. "You won!"

"You gotta go! You gotta go!" Ella shoved her, jumping up and down with the girls. The only one missing was Tess.

"Way to go, Margaret!" Brown handed her the trophy with a proud smile. "You just got yourself a chance to record with Shane Gray!"

Shane slipped an arm around his waist for pictures. "Congratulations Peggy, You deserved it, you were amazing."

* * *

"You did it!" Mitchie still stood backstage with Caitlyn. "I mean...I did it!" They squealed, as if they were thirteen before throwing their arms around each other.

The most unexpected person interrupted them.

"You guys were really great." Tess seemed to be surprising even herself that night.

"Thanks."

"Yeah."

She nodded nervously. "So, I told Brown you guys didn't take my bracelet."

Mitchie looked at her in disbelief before a small, grateful smile appeared on her face. "Wow. Um, thank you."

Tess nodded, walking away with growing dignity. "See you next summer,"

* * *

After making plans to meet up with Caitlyn and the others later, she walked down the steps and into the makeup room.

"Mitchie! You were fabulous!" Steve announced as he and Connie appeared, hand in hand.

Connie let go of her husband to catch her daughter's hand. "Honey, I'm sorry you didn't win."

Mitchie smiled. Nothing that had happened to her this summer would have happened without her mother. "But I did. I won the best summer of my life, thanks to you."

She pulled her daughter into her arms, hugging her tightly. She whispered in her ear about how much she loved her before finally letting go. "I'll see you in a few, kay?"

She nodded. As they left, Shane walked down the steps, waving in their direction.

He stopped in front of his best friend, that smile still very visible. "So I guess my search is over."

"That depends on who you're looking for." She held out her hand and he wrapped his around it; they shook. "Hi, I'm Mitchie."

"I'm Shane." He replied, keeping hold of her hand. "You up for a canoe ride later?"

"I wouldn't miss it." Mitchie smiled at him, and they began to laugh. Nate was there suddenly, calling them back upstairs.

There was one last song to sing.


	18. Chapter 18

"Alright! Okay, camp rockers! Final Jam is over, and you know what that means? My favorite part of the summer. The Final Jam, jam session!"

Brown handed the mic off to Dee. "Let's kick it! Whoo!"

Shane and Mitchie stood side by side, their backs to the crowd.

_Cause we rock, we rock, we rock on  
We rock, we rock on  
Come as you are  
You're a superstar  
World in your pocket and you know it  
You can feel that beat  
Running through your feet  
Heart's racing fast,  
You're rock and rolling  
All that you need is the music  
To take you to some other place  
Where you know you belong  
Raise your hands up In the air and scream  
We're find our voice, Following our dreams  
Cause we rock We rock! We rock, we rock on  
Nobody in the world's Gonna bring us down  
The louder we go Well the better we sound  
Cause we rock We rock! We rock, we rock on  
We're finally letting go  
Losing all control  
Won't stop ourselves Cause we love it  
We're not afraid to be Everything you see  
No more hiding out We're gonna own it  
All that you need is the music  
To take you to some other place  
Where you know you belong  
Raise your hands up In the air and scream  
We're find our voice, Following our dreams  
Cause we rock We rock! We rock, we rock on  
Nobody in the world's Gonna bring us down  
The louder we go  
Well the better we sound  
Cause we rock We rock! We rock, we rock on  
Got the music in our souls  
And it's the thing we want the most  
It's picks up when we fall down  
And turns our world around  
Cause we rock  
Camp rock!  
We rock, we rock on  
__Everyday and every night  
Cause we rock  
Camp rock!  
We rock, we rock on  
It's all we wanna do in life, yeah  
Raise your hands up In the air and scream  
We're find our voice, Following our dreams  
Cause we rock We rock! We rock, we rock on  
Nobody in the world's Gonna bring us down  
The louder we go Well the better we sound  
Cause we rock We rock! We rock, we rock on  
Raise your hands up In the air and scream  
We're find our voice, Following our dreams  
Cause we rock We rock! We rock, we rock on  
__Nobody in the world's Gonna bring us down  
The louder we go Well the better we sound  
Cause we rock We rock!  
We rock, we rock on  
We rock, we rockwe rock on  
We rock, we rock  
Camp Rock!_

Mitchie, always the klutz, fell onto her knees as the song ended. To save her the embarrassment, Shane dropped down next to her and pressed his lips to her cheek in a swift kiss.

* * *

She ran to find Nate after the show.

"Mitch," He breathed; her feet left the ground. "You were _amazing_!"

Nate let her go, reaching down to take her hand and pull her along with him. "All this time, the girl he's been looking for is the girl he's known all along."

That made Mitchie blush, something she was famous for. "Do you think this will change anything?"

"Who knows," Caitlyn joined them. She watched her two friends as they joined hands.

"Only time will tell," Nate added. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Why don't you go find him?"

"When did you two get together?"

"Who says we're together," She asked with a wink. "Now why don't you go find rocker boy, so I can..._talk_ to my rocker boy,"

* * *

Mitchie gave her a warning look, knowing that Caitlyn would fill her in anyway. She walked off in search of her best friend.

He was waiting for her by the dock, his legs dangling over the edge.

"Hey cookie-cutter pop star," She teased as she dropped down next to him. "How's it going,"

Shane watched her for a second before he drew her closer, wrapping his arm around her. "So," He said finally. "It's you...My Mitchie is actually my mystery girl."

"Who would've thought?"

He gave her a gentle shove. "Shut up. Let me finish,"

Mitchie grinned before bringing her fingers to her lips, pretending to zip them.

"Mitch, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I know I should have been, but I can't change anything about the past. The only thing I can do is to tell you that I love you and promise that I will never leave you again, okay? I love you Mitchie. More than anyone," Shane sighed and kicked the ground. "You are so much more than my best friend,"

She wasn't sure she head him right. "What?"

He grinned shyly at her. "You heard me."

"Shane..."

"Mitchie," He stood up, dragging her with him before catching her shoulders."Can you honestly tell me that the only thing we are is just friends?"

"Shane," She said in the same tone. "Shane, we are _so_ much more than friends."

Hearing this, Shane leaned forward and picked her up, twirling her around. "I love you!" He called, his voice too loud. "I love you, Mitch!"

Mitchie's eyes lit up after hearing the words. "I love you too!" But she thought for a minute. "How is this going to work, Shane? You're..._you_. And I'm me..."

"You are the most beautiful girl I have ever met." He promised her. "We have all the time in the world to figure everything else out."

Her feet were still dangling above the ground when their lips met, fitting perfectly together. Shane deepened the kiss, their tongues wrestling.

They had to pull away for air, and his tired arms finally allowed her feet to touch the ground again.

"Wow." She breathed. "That was..."

"_Amazing?"_ He cut off. "Spectacular_? Great? Wonderful?..."_

"_All_ of the above." She told him, rolling her eyes at him. "But I was going to say...That was my first kiss,"

"Really?" Shane raised an eye brow, reaching out to brush her cheek with his fingers. He watched her carefully.

"Really,"

He pulled her back to him, pressing his lips to hers again. After pulling away, he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tight.

"Well it won't be your last,"

* * *

All of her things were packed, and all most all of her friends she had said goodbye too.

There was really only one thing left to do.

She was waiting outside, her arms wrapped around herself. She was about to cry.

"Cait,"

"Mitch,"

And then they were hugging, tears pouring down her cheeks. Mitchie pulled away to look her friend in the eyes.

"Best friends," She asked. "Right?"

"Of course," Caitlyn managed to laugh. "I only live an hour away. We can hang out every weekend,"

"And I guess now we'll have to go and see some Connect 3 concerts together."

"Yeah! Now that you and Shane are back to being friends again,"

Someone chuckled. "I think we're a lot more than that now," Shane informed her as he took Mitchie's hand in his own. "And I think it'll stay that way for a very long time,"

She narrowed her eyes before a grin appeared on her face. "You two _totally_ got together!"

"Maybe," Mitchie replied with a smug smile. "I'm really gonna miss you, Cait."

They hugged again, before Nate walked over and took Caitlyn in his arms, kissing her. She pulled away, breathless.

"Wow,"

"Exactly," He grinned. "So I'll call you tonight? And maybe in a week or so I could..." He was blushing. "Take you on our first date?"

Caitlyn grinned, throwing her arms around his neck to kiss him again.

"Is that a yes?"

"What do you think?"

She nodded, pulling away and giving her best friend one last hug. "I love you,"

"I love you too," Mitchie promised her. She stood between the two boys as they watched Caitlyn get into the car her parents had sent for her.

Shane and Nate shared a look. She caught it.

"What are you two up too?"

"Us?" Nate asked with a smile as he led the way towards the waiting cars. "Nothing at all, Mitch."

Shane just reached down and laced their fingers together, saying nothing. He led her towards his waiting limo, where they had agreed to say goodbye.

Jason was leaning against the car, wearing the same expression as the rest of the boys.

"Mitchie!" Connie called. She walked over and handed her the duffel bag and guitar case she had brought with her that summer.

"What is this...?"

They all looked to Nate.

"Oh, alright." He sighed; they were ruining his fun. "Connie agreed to let you come on a little vacation with us before we _all_ went home."

Mitchie looked at her boyfriend questioningly. "Home? You mean..."

"Yup," Shane said with a laugh. He didn't expect her to launch herself at him, her legs tangling themselves around his waist. He caught her easily. "I'll be home for a while, babe. It'll be just you and me,"

Jason took Mitchie in his arms, spinning her around. "Mitchieeeeeeee! Road trip!"

She laughed before pulling away and running to hug her mother. "I'll see you in a few days?"

"Of course," Connie kissed her forehead. "I love you honey. Be safe,"

Nate almost had to shove her into the limo, despite her protests. She wasn't used to flashy things, and Shane and Jason loved to tease her. "Come on Mitchie. Just get in,"

Shane, already in the car, finally reached over and grabbed her arms, yanking her inside. Jason was ready with her seat belt, which he wrapped around her. Then, she wasn't going anywhere.

"Sorry babe," He muttered, reading her mind. He pressed his lips to hers as an apology.

Nate and Jason began to gag, breaking the couple apart. "You're not allowed to do that around us anymore."

Shane and Mitchie began to laugh before she leaned back against him, her head fitting into the crook of his shoulder.

"I love you," She muttered.

"I love you too, Mitch."

They would have their ups and downs; neither one of them was perfect. Shane had a lot of messes to clean up, a lot of people to apologize too. Mitchie would have to learn how to adjust to the lifestyle her boyfriend was used to.

"Shane?"

"Yeah, Jase?"

Jason was looking him straight in the eyes, like he was about to say something intelligent and very un-Jason like.

"So you really didn't make me a birdhouse?"

**This is the last chapter, guys. But fear not, I'm working on another story and it's almost finished :)**

**Thank you for all of the kids words, Love you all always!**


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